The Tenasserim-South Thailand semi-evergreen rain forests stretch along the mountainous spine that separates Myanmar and Thailand, running down the Tenasserim Range and Kra Isthmus into the northern Malay Peninsula and just reaching the northernmost edge of Malaysia. The canopy is dominated by trees of the family Dipterocarpaceae, including Dipterocarpus, Hopea, and Shorea, with semi-evergreen species that shed some leaves in the dry season in the lowlands and more fully evergreen forest in the montane interior. Climatically the region marks a transition from year-round rainfall in the south to a two-to-three month dry period further north, with relatively little change in total annual precipitation. It holds one of the richest mammal assemblages in Asia, supporting Asian elephant, tiger, gaur, sun bear, and clouded leopard, along with more than 560 bird species and the endemic Gurney's pitta. For gardeners, this is also one of the most orchid-rich ecoregions in the region, home to more than 700 orchid species.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 8.5°N, 99.3°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: +3.1°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
37,603 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: