Irrawaddy dry forests
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The Irrawaddy dry forests occupy the arid heart of central Myanmar, spanning portions of the Irrawaddy, Sittaung, and Salween river basins across several administrative divisions. This is a patchwork of dipterocarp woodland and thorny scrub, characterized by drought-tolerant trees such as Dipterocarpus tuberculatus, Shorea, the native teak Tectona hamiltoniana, Terminalia oliveri, and Senegalia (Acacia) catechu, with tall bamboos like Dendrocalamus strictus widespread. The climate is harsh and dry, receiving well under 800 mm of annual rainfall that arrives sporadically and torrentially from mid-July through October, with rarely more than about fifteen rain-days a year. Despite this severity the region harbors notable endemics, including the critically endangered Popa langur and near-endemic birds such as the white-throated babbler and hooded racket-tailed treepie, while serving as a key refuge for the rare Burmese starred tortoise; less than one percent of the ecoregion lies within protected areas, making it one of the more imperiled dry forests of the realm. Gardeners in hot, low-rainfall climates may recognize several genera native here, including teak (Tectona) and Bauhinia, valued ornamentally elsewhere.
About the tropical & subtropical dry broadleaf forests biome
Tropical forests that pass through a pronounced dry season, when many trees drop their leaves to conserve water. They hold high biodiversity but are among the most threatened tropical habitats, sensitive to fire and to clearing for agriculture.
Collections for this ecoregion
No curated collection's plants all fit this ecoregion's zone range. We surface a collection only when every member would grow here — partial fits get filtered out rather than mislead. As the catalog and the curated set both grow, this section will fill in.