North Western Ghats montane rain forests
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The North Western Ghats montane rain forests is a
tropical moist broadleaf forest Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat (ecology), habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Description TSMF is generally foun ...
ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...
of southwestern
Indian peninsula The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India ...
. It covers an area of , extending down the spine of the Western Ghauts range, from southernmost
Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
through
Damaon Daman is one of the three districts of the Indian union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu on the western coast of India, surrounded by Valsad district of Gujarat state on the north, east and south and the Arabian Sea to the ...
,
Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
,
Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...
&
Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
. The montane rain forests are found above 1000 meters elevation, and are surrounded at lower elevations by the
North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests The North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of southwestern India. Geography The North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests lies in the northern portion of the Western Ghats (Sahyadri) range ...
.


Flora

Unlike the lowland forests, which are composed largely of
deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
trees, the montane rain forests are predominantly evergreen
laurel forest Laurel forest, also called laurisilva or laurissilva, is a type of subtropical forest found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable, mild temperatures. The forest is characterized by broadleaf tree species with evergreen, glossy and elo ...
, dominated by trees of the laurel family (
Lauraceae Lauraceae, or the laurels, is a plant family that includes the true laurel and its closest relatives. This family comprises about 2850 known species in about 45 genera worldwide (Christenhusz & Byng 2016 ). They are dicotyledons, and occur ma ...
), including ''
Litsea ''Litsea'' is a genus of evergreen or deciduous trees or shrubs belonging to the laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes a large number of accepted species in tropical and subtropical areas of North America and Asia. Characteristics They a ...
'', '' Phoebe'', and ''
Cinnamomum ''Cinnamomum'' is a genus of evergreen aromatic trees and shrubs belonging to the laurel family, Lauraceae. The species of ''Cinnamomum'' have aromatic oils in their leaves and bark. The genus contains approximately 250 species, distributed in t ...
''.


Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found that 5,331 km², or 17%, of the ecoegion was in protected areas. Another 39% is forested but outside protected areas. As of 1997, 13 protected areas had been designated, covering an area of 3,990 km², 13% of the ecoregion's area. *
Anshi National Park Kali Tiger Reserve (Kannada: ಕಾಳಿ ಹುಲಿ ಸಂರಕ್ಷಿತ ಪ್ರದೇಶ; formerly Anshi National Park) is a protected area and tiger reserve. It is located in Uttara Kannada district, in Karnataka, India. The park i ...
,
Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
(80 km², partly in the
North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests The North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of southwestern India. Geography The North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests lies in the northern portion of the Western Ghats (Sahyadri) range ...
) *
Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area and tiger reserve as part of the Project Tiger, situated in Chikkamagaluru district, south of Bhadravathi city, 20 km from Tarikere town, northwest of Chikkamagaluru and 283 km from Bengaluru ...
, Karnataka (200 km², partly in the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests) *
Chandoli National Park Chandoli National Park is a national park established in Sangli district on May 2004. Earlier it was a Wildlife Sanctuary declared in 1985. Chandoli Park is notable as the southern portion of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, with Koyna Wildlife San ...
,
Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
(80 km², partly in the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests) *
Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary is located at in Uttara Kannada District of Karnataka state in India. The sanctuary covers an area of . around the city of Dandeli. Along with neighboring Anshi National Park (), the sanctuary was declared part of th ...
, Karnataka (1,060 km²) *
Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary Koyna may refer to: * Koyna River, a river which originates in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra * Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary, a wildlife refuge in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra * Koynanagar, a town at the site of the Koyna Dam * Koyna Dam, a da ...
, Maharashtra (160 km², partly in the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests) *
Kudremukh National Park Kudremukha(ಕುದುರೆ ಮುಖ) is a mountain range and name of a peak located in Chikkamagaluru district, in Karnataka, India. It is also the name of a small hill station iron ore mining town situated near the mountain, about 20 kil ...
, Karnataka (820 km²) *
Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected wildlife sanctuary in the southern state of Karnataka in India. It derives its name from the presiding deity " Goddess Mookambika" of the popular Kollur Mookambika Temple. The sanctuary lies in the W ...
, Karnataka (160 km², partly in the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests) *
Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the 21 Wildlife Sanctuaries in Karnataka, India. This sanctuary is located in Somwarpet taluk of the Kodagu district. It is home to rare and endangered birdlife. The Kadamakkal reserve forest is a part ...
, Karnataka (70 km², partly in the
South Western Ghats montane rain forests The South Western Ghats montane rain forests is an ecoregion in South India, covering the southern portion of the Western Ghats in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu at elevations from . Annual rainfall in this ecoregion exceeds . Setting The e ...
) *
Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary ( mr, राधानगरी वन्यजीव अभयारण्य) is a wildlife sanctuary and natural World Heritage Site of category ix and x since 2012, located in Kolhapur district, Maharashtra S ...
, Maharashtra (350 km²) *
Sharavati Valley Wildlife Sanctuary Sharavati is a river which originates and flows entirely within the state of Karnataka in India. It is one of the few westward flowing rivers of India and a major part of the river basin lies in the Western Ghats. The famous Jog Falls, located ...
, Karnataka (370 km², partly in the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests) * Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka (470 km²) *
Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected wildlife sanctuary in the Western Ghats of Karnataka state in India. It is named after the presiding deity "Lord Someshwara" of the famed Someshwara temple located within the sanctuary. The sanctuary ...
, Karnataka (40 km²) * Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra (130 km², partly in the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests) A chain of reserved forests – Kiribag, Subrahmanya,
Bisle Bisle is a small village in the heart of south-western India's Western Ghats. The village is located in Hassan District's Sakleshpur (Sakaleshpura) Taluk. It adjoins Bisle Reserve Forest, which has some of India's most spectacular rain forest ...
, Bhagimaldi, Kagneri, Kanchankumari, Kempuhole, Moorkannugudda, Kabbinale, Shiradi Shisla, and Miyar – extend along the spine of the Western Ghats, connecting Kudremukh National Park to Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary. On December 15, 2012, the Karnataka Wildlife Board recommended that
Bisle Bisle is a small village in the heart of south-western India's Western Ghats. The village is located in Hassan District's Sakleshpur (Sakaleshpura) Taluk. It adjoins Bisle Reserve Forest, which has some of India's most spectacular rain forest ...
, Kaginahare, and Kanchankumari reserve forests north of Pushpagiri be included in Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary. The Ministry of Environment and Forests also supported the proposal. In May 2014 wildlife biologist
Sanjay Gubbi Sanjay Gubbi is a conservation biologist based in Karnataka, India. His work focuses on the conservation of large carnivores like tigers and leopards, working on applied aspects and understanding their population biology, proposing conservation p ...
reiterated the call to include these reserve forests in the protected area, and said that "a conspiracy to make money in the name of mini-hydel projects" was the reason for the Karnataka state government's refusal to redesignate these reserve forests as a wildlife sanctuary or national park."Include more forest areas under Pushpagiri sanctuary." ''Deccan Herald'' May 10, 2014. Accessed 22 September 201

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References

{{ecoregions of India North Western Ghats montane rain forests, Ecoregions of India Indomalayan ecoregions Montane forests Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Tropical rainforests of India Western Ghats