Meghalaya, India Photograph by WWF/ Gerald Cubitt   The Khasi and Garo Hills in the eastern Indian states of Meghalaya and Assam. Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   16,100 square miles (41,700 square kilometers) -- about the size of Vermont and Hawaii combined Vulnerable

· High Diversity on the Hills
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern

High Diversity on the Hills

The Khasi and Garo Hills rise to over 5906 feet (1,800 m), and the wet forests that spread over them are home to an amazing variety of life. Scientists consider this ecoregion to be one of the most species-rich on the Indian subcontinent for mammals, birds, and plants. The mature forests have large trees that several species of hornbills depend on for nesting. Throughout the forests, trees are draped in climbing vines and orchids. Beneath is a dense undergrowth of bamboo and other canes that shelters a variety of wildlife.

Special Features

Rain, funneled in by two mountain ranges, falls heavily on the hills, making this one of the wettest ecoregions in the Indo-Pacific region. In some places, more than 36 feet (11 meters) of rain fall each year. In prehistoric times this ecoregion served as a gateway for the animals of Indochina to spread to India. The tiger is considered to have entered the subcontinent from this region. The haunting calls of gibbons, which echo through forests from Sumatra to Myanmar, are also part of the early morning chorus here.

	The Meghalaya Hills Subtropical Forests are a good place to find beautiful orchids. In the Khasi Hills alone grow 265 species.

Wild Side

Bring your birding book and binoculars to this ecoregion, because 450 species of birds can be found in the forests and grasslands here. Stick around for twilight and youâll probably see many bats darting through the air. In total, 110 species of mammals make their home here, including the Indian civet and many other small carnivores. Asian elephants also lumber throughout this ecoregion.

Cause for Concern

More than 66 percent of this ecoregion has been cleared or degraded and less than one percent has been protected. One of the primary threats to the remaining forests is shifting cultivation, the practice of clearing land and cultivating it for a short period of time, until the soil is depleted, and then abandoning it and clearing more land for cultivation. The hunting of tigers and elephants is also a serious problem. An additional threat to elephants is the leasing of lands along their migratory routes to private mining companies.

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