The Lower Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests stretch across the alluvial floodplain of the lower Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, spanning most of Bangladesh and the eastern Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar, Tripura, and parts of Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Assam. The natural vegetation is a semi-deciduous to semi-evergreen forest in which sal (Shorea robusta) becomes predominant in mature stands, mixed with trees such as Bombax ceiba, Albizia procera, Butea monosperma, and Aegle marmelos, while riparian zones carry Acacia catechu and Dalbergia sissoo. The climate is tropical and highly seasonal, with most rainfall delivered by the southwest monsoon between June and September and frequent flooding. Historically the region supported tiger, Asian elephant, greater one-horned rhinoceros, gaur, sloth bear, and swamp deer, along with threatened birds like the Bengal florican, but it is now one of the most densely populated and heavily farmed landscapes on Earth, leaving only a small fraction in protected reserves. For gardeners, native flowering trees such as the red silk cotton tree (Bombax ceiba) and flame-of-the-forest (Butea monosperma) are ornamental species rooted in this ecoregion.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 24.7°N, 88.3°E.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
12a-13b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
12a-13b
Plotwright
Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.
Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +4.0°F by mid-century. SSP3-7.0 (current trajectory) · CHELSA v2.1 bio06 sampled across 10 of 10 points within this ecoregion's bounding box.
At a glance
Dominant biome
Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Realm
Indomalayan
Approximate area
98,093 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Imperiled (Dinerstein NNH 4)
About the tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome
Warm, wet, highly productive forests — including tropical rainforests — with closed canopies, near year-round growing seasons, and the richest terrestrial biodiversity on Earth. Low seasonality and high rainfall sustain dense, layered vegetation from canopy to forest floor.
Catalog plants suited to this ecoregion
Computed from each plant's stated USDA zone range against this ecoregion's CHELSA-derived current zone range, with the CHELSA mid-century warming delta applied for the projection. Plants whose stated range falls outside both the current and projected zone end up dropped; the rest land in one of the three buckets below.
Climate-resilient picks · 4
These plants fit this ecoregion today AND remain in range under the mid-century SSP3-7.0 projection. Lead with these for a planting that holds up as the climate shifts.
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.
Related ecoregions
Other tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregions to explore: