Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests

The Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of northern India. It lies on the alluvial plain of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, with an area of 263,100 square kilometers (101,600 sq mi), covering most of the state of Uttar Pradesh and adjacent portions of Uttarakhand, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. The ecoregion is bounded on the north by the Himalayan subtropical pine forests, Terai-Duar savannas and grasslands and Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests of the Himalaya foothills, to the west by the drier Northwestern thorn scrub forests and Kathiarbar-Gir dry deciduous forests, on the south by the Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests of the Malwa and Bundelkhand uplands, and on the east by the more humid Lower Gangetic plains moist deciduous forests.

The ecoregion has a tropical climate. Rainfall is highly seasonal, falling mainly during the June-to-September southwest monsoon.

In ancient times the region was mostly forested, with sal (Shorea robusta) the predominant tree. Many trees lose their leaves during the winter dry season. The ecoregion is currently densely populated, and the fertile plains have largely been converted to intensive agriculture, with only a few enclaves of forest remaining.

Conservation

Protected areas in this ecoregion include:

• Jim Corbett National Park
• Rajaji National Park

See also

• List of ecoregions in India