Satellite view of eastern Myanmar Photograph by USGS   Southern Asia: Western Myanmar extending into eastern India Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   11,500 square miles (29,700 square kilometers) -- about the size of Vermont and Rhode Island combined Relatively Stable/Intact

· Mature Mountain Forests
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Mature Mountain Forests

On a planet where it seems like every acre has been touched by humans, mountain forests in this ecoregion remain relatively undisturbed. As a result, the forests here are thick with mature vegetation that varies with changes in elevation. Hidden among the trees and shrubs is a rich mix of mammals and birds, with a few found nowhere else in the world.

Special Features

Along the coast of Myanmar, moist forests blanket the length of the Chin Hills and Arakan Yoma mountain ranges. Several species dominate the forest canopy here. Mature forests are opulently draped with lianas--vines that entwine the trees until they reach the canopy. At the highest altitudes, the forests become increasingly shrubby. Summit ridges are somewhat covered by a temperate savanna, with shrubs such as Rhododendron and tall grasses and herbs such as Aconitum, Delphinium, and Geranium.

	Otherwise black in color, the sun bear stands out for the golden-colored crescent shape on its chest and golden rings around its eyes.

Wild Side

The relatively intact forests of this ecoregion provide shelter to several species of large mammals, including Indochinese tigers, Asian elephants, hoolock gibbons, leopards, and sun bears. The endangered hoolock gibbon -- a small ape -- is known for its agility in trees. On the ground, leopards will keep their distance from tigers, preying on small- to medium-sized hoofed mammals and leaving the larger ones to their striped cousins. A sun bear will eat just about anything it can get its paws on -- including birds, termites, bee nests, and the tender tips of sprouting palm trees. This ecoregion’s only endemic mammal is a species of squirrel. Endemic birds include the striped laughingthrush, the brown-capped laughingthrush, and the white-browed nuthatch.

Cause for Concern

This ecoregion is in relatively good condition, with about two thirds of the forest intact. However, shifting cultivation, known locally as taunggya, remains a serious threat to undisturbed vegetation. Increasing population has forced farmers to clear trees and sow their crops deeper into the forest. Hunting and habitat loss have already led to local extinctions of the gaur and Javan and Sumatran rhinoceroses.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.