| Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests | |
|---|---|
 Hills nearKanpur | |
 Ecoregion territory (in purple) | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Indomalayan |
| Biome | tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests |
| Borders | |
| Geography | |
| Area | 262,642 km2 (101,407 sq mi) |
| Countries | |
| States | |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | critical/endangered[1] |
| Protected | 3,544 km2 (1%)[2] |
TheUpper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests is atropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forestsecoregion of northernIndia.
It lies on thealluvial plain of theGanges andYamuna rivers, with an area of 263,100 square kilometers (101,600 sq mi), covering most of the state ofUttar Pradesh and adjacent portions ofUttarakhand,Haryana,Madhya Pradesh andBihar; as well as a minuscule adjacent portion of southernNepal.
The ecoregion is bounded on the north by theHimalayan subtropical pine forests,Terai-Duar savannas and grasslands andHimalayan subtropical broadleaf forests of theHimalaya foothills, to the west by the drierNorthwestern thorn scrub forests andKhathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests, on the south by theNarmada Valley dry deciduous forests of theMalwa andBundelkhand uplands, and on the east by the more humidLower Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests.
The ecoregion is home to several large cities, includingDelhi,Agra,Kanpur,Lucknow,Gwalior, andVaranasi.
The ecoregion has asubtropical climate. Rainfall is highly seasonal, falling mainly during the June-to-Septembersouthwest monsoon.
In ancient times the region was mostly covered with moist semi deciduous forests, with trees that lose their leaves during the winter dry season.sal(Shorea robusta) is predominanttree. Mature trees form a canopy 25 to 35 metres. Other trees includeTerminalia tomentosa,Terminalia belerica,Lagerstroemia parviflora,Adina cordifolia,Dillenia pentagyna,Stereospermum suaveolens, andFicus spp.[1]
Where the land has been disturbed by flood, fire, or livestock grazing there are areas of grassland or savanna, with the grassesSaccharum spontaneum,Saccharum narenga,Saccharum benghalense, andVetiveria zizanioides.[1]
There are 79 known species of mammals in the ecoregion. Large mammals, includingtiger (Panthera tigris),Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis),Asian elephant (Elephas maximus),wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee),chousingha (Tetracerus quadricornis),swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii), andsloth bear (Melursus ursinus), once roamed the ecoregion.Habitat destruction has mostly extirpated them from the ecoregion. Small populations of tiger, Asian elephant, sloth bear, and chousingha persist in the few remaining forested areas at the foot of the Himalayas.[1]
There are over 290 species of birds, including thegreat Indian bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps),lesser florican (Sypheotides indicus),Indian grey hornbill (Ocyceros birostris), andOriental pied hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris).[1]
Wetlands along the Ganges River and its tributaries support communities of resident and migrant waterfowl, along withmugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) andgharial (Gavialis gangeticus). The ecoregion's large rivers are home to the endangeredGanges river dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica).[1]
The ecoregion is currently densely populated, and the fertile plains have largely been converted to intensive agriculture, with only a few enclaves of forest remaining.
A 2017 assessment found that 3,544 km2, or 1%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas.[2] Protected areas in the ecoregion include:[1]
Media related toUpper Gangetic Plains Moist Deciduous Forests Ecoregion at Wikimedia Commons