This Indomalayan ecoregion strings across the open Indian Ocean over three coralline island groups: Lakshadweep, a union territory of India; the independent Maldives; and the Chagos Archipelago within the British Indian Ocean Territory, which together form the largest atoll system in the world. Because the low islands are built from coral sand, the native vegetation is salt- and drought-tolerant coastal forest and scrub rather than tall rainforest, with pioneers such as beach naupaka (Scaevola taccada), Tournefortia argentea and Suriana maritima giving way to interior stands of Alexandrian laurel (Calophyllum inophyllum), Pisonia grandis, Cordia subcordata and Barringtonia asiatica, while Bruguiera mangroves fringe sheltered shores and coconut palms dominate cultivated ground. The climate is uniformly warm and humid, ranging roughly 24 to 30 degrees Celsius, with a southwest monsoon from April to October delivering about 1,600 mm of rain a year in the drier northern Lakshadweep and rising to over 3,800 mm in the southern Maldives. Classed as critical/endangered, the ecoregion is prized chiefly for its extensive coral reefs, which supply the very sand the islands are made of and shelter nesting sea turtles; its flagship species is the green turtle. For warm-climate gardeners, several of its hardy salt-tolerant natives, including beach naupaka and the broad-canopied Alexandrian laurel, are familiar coastal ornamentals.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 13.8°N, 120.2°E.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
13a-13b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
13a-13b
Plotwright
Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.
Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +2.8°F by mid-century. SSP3-7.0 (current trajectory) · CHELSA v2.1 bio06 sampled across 8 of 10 points within this ecoregion's bounding box.
At a glance
Dominant biome
Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Realm
Indomalayan
Approximate area
212 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Could Reach Half Protected (Dinerstein NNH 2)
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
No catalog plants intersect this ecoregion's zone range. As the catalog grows to cover this region's climate band, suggestions will surface here.
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.
Related ecoregions
Other tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregions to explore: