The South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests occupy the southern reaches of India's Deccan Plateau, spanning much of central Tamil Nadu and extending into southern Karnataka, set in the rain shadow east of the Western Ghats and taking in part of the Eastern Ghats. These are three-storied dry forests with an upper canopy of roughly 15 to 25 meters, built from genera such as Terminalia, Albizia, Dalbergia, Pterocarpus, Anogeissus, Diospyros, and Cassia, along with prized Indian sandalwood (Santalum album). Most rain arrives with the June to September southwest monsoon, and the trees drop their leaves through the dry winter and spring, when summer temperatures can climb above 40 degrees Celsius. The ecoregion supports around 75 mammal species and 260 bird species and forms part of an elephant range that sustains one of the world's largest Asian elephant populations, though more than 80 percent of its natural forest has been cleared. For gardeners, several of its natives double as ornamentals, including the golden-flowered Cassia fistula and rosewoods of the genus Dalbergia.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 11.7°N, 77.7°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: +3.2°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 Dry Broadleaf Forests
Realm
Indomalayan
Approximate area
31,756 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Imperiled (Dinerstein NNH 4)
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.
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 dry broadleaf forests ecoregions to explore: