Ao Phang Gha National Park, Thailand Photograph by Michael Brown/Innovative Resources Management, Inc.   Indochina: Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   37,600 square miles (97,300 square kilometers) -- about the size of South Carolina and Massachusetts combined Relatively Stable/Intact

· Mammals Galore
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Mammals Galore

The large swatches of contiguous forests in this ecoregion support many plant species. They also support the endangered Asian elephant, tiger, and a broad mix of other wildlife. In fact, the Tenasserim-South Thailand Semi-Evergreen Rain Forests ecoregion contains one of the richest groups of mammals in Asia.

Special Features

This ecoregion is the meeting place of the semi-evergreen rain forests of Indochinaâs Tenasserim mountain range and the extensive lowland plains. In this area of transition, deciduous forests of teak make way for evergreen rain forests of dipterocarps. The trees in mature forests are buttressed and draped with lianas, while distinctive, thorny climbing palms known as rattans are frequent in undisturbed sites. Growing here, too, is Rafflesia kerrii, a plant that attaches itself to the roots of Tetrastigma vines where it gains its water and nutrients . Completely devoid of leaves, this parasitic plant lives underground except for its large flowers, which give off the smell of decaying flesh. This is thought to attract flies, which serve as pollinators. While the flowers of the Rafflesia kerrii can grow to 27 inches (70 cm) wide, it is by no means the largest-flowered member of the genus.

	The Gurneyâs pitta is a shy, secretive bird that likes to stick close to the ground. When alarmed, it escapes through a series of rapid, bounding hops or short, low-level flights. This bird has a strong sense of smell, which it uses for sniffing out earthworms.

Wild Side

A diversity of habitats means a diversity of animals. If protected, the large tracts of lowland and montane forests in this ecoregion could support viable populations of threatened tigers and Asian elephants. Other mammals living here are the elusive and endemic Feaâs muntjac and the Malayan tapir, as well as several primate species, including the threatened banded langur and the slow loris. Birds are plentiful and varied, with 560 bird species recorded in this ecoregion. One endemic, the Gurneyâs pitta, is critically endangered. Once thought to be extinct, the bird survives in a few locations of lowland forest. The alluvial plains and wetland habitats are populated by waterfowl, which range from the colorful purple swamphen to several types of egrets. More than 700 orchid species are found here.

Cause for Concern

More than half of this ecoregionâs habitat has been converted to agriculture. Despite a logging ban that took effect in 1988, illegal timbering has eliminated extensive lowland forests in peninsular Thailand and remains a threat. Once exposed by the loss of tree cover, this ecoregionâs soils are especially vulnerable to erosion. The building of dams and highways and the development of coastal resorts have been proceeding at a threatening pace as well.

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