Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests

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{{Infobox ecoregion
|name = Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests
|image = Nallamalla forests at Srisailam.jpg
|image_size =
|image_alt =
|caption = Nallamalla forests at [[Srisailam]]
|map = Ecoregion IM0201.png
|map_size =
|map_alt =
|map_caption = Ecoregion territory (in purple)
|ecozone = [[Indomalayan realm|Indomalayan]]
|biome = [[tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests]]
|animals =
|bird_species =
|mammal_species =
|border1 = [[Deccan thorn scrub forests]]
|border2 = [[Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests]],
|border3 = [[Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests]]
|area = 239376
|country = [[India]]
|state1 = [[Maharashtra]]
|state2 = [[Telangana]]
|state3 = [[Madhya Pradesh]]
|state4 = [[Chhattisgarh]],
|state5 = [[Andhra Pradesh]]
|region_type = States
|elevation =
|geology =
|seas =
|rivers =
|climate =
|soil =
|conservation = critical/endangered
|global200 =
|habitat_loss =
|habitat_loss_ref =
|coordinates =
|protected = 9,742 km² (4
|protected_ref = )<ref>Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b. [https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/bix014]</ref>
|embedded =
}}

The '''Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests''' in Western and Southern [[India]], containing large protected areas of natural tiger habitat.

==Distribution==
The [[Deccan Plateau]] is a large triangular plateau in southern India, bounded by the [[Western Ghats]] range to the west, the [[Eastern Ghats]] to the east, and the western [[Satpura Range]] to the north. The Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests occupy an area of {{convert|240,200|km2|sqmi|sp=us}}, in which the dominant natural habitat is or was woodland of ''[[Hardwickia binata]]'' and ''[[Albizia amara]]'' trees, located on the central and southern portion of the plateau. The [[ecoregion]] lies mostly within the states of [[Maharashtra]] and [[Telangana]], extending into adjacent parts of [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Chhattisgarh]], and [[Andhra Pradesh]]. In Maharashtra, the Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests cover most of the [[Vidarbha]] region, including the city of [[Nagpur]]. In Telangana, the dry deciduous forests cover much of the state, including [[Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh|Hyderabad]], the state capital, with a small portion extending across the Eastern Ghats to the Bay of Bengal in [[Krishna District]] of Andhra Pradesh.<ref>{{WWF ecoregion|id=im0201|name=Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests}}</ref>

The [[deserts and xeric shrublands|xeric]] [[Deccan thorn scrub forests]] lie to the west, south, and southeast, covering the drier portions of the plateau in the rain shadow of the [[Western Ghats]]. The more humid [[Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests]] lie to the northeast and east, while the [[Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests]] lie across the [[Satpuras]] to the northwest.

The [[Godavari River]] crosses the ecoregion from its source in the Western Ghats and indeed most of the rivers on the plateau drain east towards the [[Bay of Bengal]], with the exception of the [[Tapti River]] in the northwestern corner of the plateau, which drains westward into the [[Arabian Sea]].

This is a highly populated area and most of the natural forest in the ecoregion has been cleared for firewood or grazing land or as a result of river damming, all of which are ongoing. However large blocks of original habitat such as the [[Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve]] in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh do remain.

==Flora==
Woodlands of ''[[Hardwickia binata]]'' and ''[[Albizia amara]]'' are the characteristic plant community of this ecoregion, distinguishing it from the predominantly teak (''[[Tectona grandis]]'') or sal (''[[Shorea robusta]]'') woodlands found elsewhere in the Deccan. The Central Deccan forests have an upper canopy at 15–25 meters, and an understory at 10–15 meters, with little undergrowth.<ref name=TEIP>Wikramanayake, Eric; Eric Dinerstein; Colby J. Loucks; et al. (2002). ''Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a Conservation Assessment.'' Island Press; [[Washington, DC]]. pp. 324-326</ref> The ''Hardwickia'' trees lose their leaves during the winter dry season, and leaf out again in April.<ref>"Hardwickia binata". ''Agroforestry Database 4.0'', Orwa et al.2009. Accessed 18 July 2014 [http://www.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Hardwickia_binata.pdf]</ref> Other tree species in the northern part of the ecoregion include teak, ''[[Boswellia serrata]], [[Lannea coromandelica]], [[Anogeissus latifolia]], [[Albizia lebbeck]], [[Lagerstroemia parvifolia]], [[Diospyros tomentosa]],'' and ''[[Acacia catechu]]''.<ref name=TEIP />

==Fauna==
The large areas of remaining forest on the plateau are still home to a variety of grazing animals from the [[four-horned antelope]] (''Tetracerus quadricornis''), [[chinkara]] (''Gazella bennettii''), and [[blackbuck]] (''Antilope cervicapra'') to the large [[gaur]] and [[wild water buffalo]] (''Bubalus arnee''). Large carnivores include [[Bengal tiger]]s (''Panthera tigris tigris''), the [[dhole]] (wild dog, ''Cuon alpinus''), and [[sloth bear]] (''Melursus ursinus''). The area is home to nearly ninety mammal species. Some of the larger species mentioned here are rare, as is the threatened [[Indian giant squirrel]] (''Ratufa indica''). The 300 species of birds include the globally threatened [[Jerdon's courser]] (''Rhinoptilus bitorquatus''), which was rediscovered in 1986 having been thought extinct for nearly a hundred years.

==Conservation==
About 80 percent of the natural habitat in the ecoregion has been lost. Several blocks of habitat larger than 5,000 km2 remain. Fifteen protected areas cover almost 3% of the ecoregion's area, with [[Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve]] as the largest.<ref name=TEIP />

* [[Bor Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Wardha District]], [[Maharashtra]] (80 km2)
* [[Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Gadchiroli district]], Maharashtra (130 km2)
* [[Gautala Autramghat Sanctuary]], [[Aurangabad district, Maharashtra|Aurangabad]] and [[Jalgaon district|Jalgaon]] districts, Maharashtra (260 km2)
* [[Gundla Brahmeswaram Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Kurnool district|Kurnool]] and [[Prakasam district]]s, [[Andhra Pradesh]] (120 km2)
* [[Katepurna Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Akola District]], Maharashtra (420 km2)
* [[Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary]], Andhra Pradesh (220 km2, partly in [[Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests]] ecoregion)
* [[Manjira Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Medak district]], [[Telangana]] (30 km2)
* [[Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve]], Telangana and Andhra Pradesh (3,568 km2)
* [[Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary]], Bhandara and Gondia districts, Maharashtra (150 km2)
* [[Navegaon National Park]], [[Gondia district]], Maharashtra (170 km2)
* [[Painganga Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Yavatmal district]], Maharashtra (130 km2)
* [[Pench National Park]], Seoni and Chhindwara districts, Madhya Pradesh (440 km2)
* [[Pocharam Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Medak district]], Telangana (120 km2)
* [[Tadoba Andhari Reserve]], [[Chandrapur district]], Maharashtra (625 km2)
* [[Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary]], Yavatmal district, Maharashtra (160 km2)

==See also==
*[[List of ecoregions in India]]
*[[Arid Forest Research Institute]] (AFRI)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{WWF ecoregion|name=Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests|id=im0201}}

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[[Category:Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests| ]]
[[Category:Ecoregions of India]]
[[Category:Environment of Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Environment of Telangana]]
[[Category:Forests of India]]
[[Category:Indomalayan ecoregions]]
[[Category:Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests]]

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Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests