Nawabganj Bird Sactuary, near Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India Photograph by www.upportal.com   India, extending through the upper reaches of the Ganges River, across the northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Bihar. Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   101,600 square miles (263,100 square kilometers) -- about the size of Wyoming and Connecticut combined Critical/Endangered

· On the Banks of the Ganges River
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern

On the Banks of the Ganges River

As you stand with your feet in the muddy flood plain of the Ganges River, try to imagine how it looked long, long ago. The rich soil deposited over thousands of years by the river would have supported dense tracts of lush forest. You could have seen many of Indiaās largest animals÷greater one-horned rhinoceroses, Asian elephants, and wild water buffalo. Today, only fragments of that rich habitat remain, and many of the big animals are gone.

Special Features

As one of Asiaās largest rivers, the Ganges has carved steep ravines into the otherwise flat ecoregion. Its wetlands support a rich and diverse waterfowl community that includes many migratory birds. Itās also a vital source of water in an area where the rains come only during monsoon season, when monsoons move in from the southwest, and amount to less than 20 inches (50 cm) each year.

	One of the densest human populations on Earth lives in the alluvial plains of the upper Ganges River, which is in this ecoregion.

Wild Side

The remaining patches of natural habitat may still harbor a few big animal species, including tigers, elephants, and sloth bears. And there may still be small groups of swamp deer left in the forested areas. But, unfortunately, the remaining habitat is too small to preserve these species for much longer. In the murky waters of the river itself swim freshwater dolphins, mugger crocodiles, and the largest and most spectacular of remaining Indian reptiles, the Gangetic gharials. Bird species number around 290.

Cause for Concern

The fertile plains of the Ganges River have been cleared and intensely cultivated by dense human populations for thousands of years. Over 95 percent of this vast ecoregion has been degraded or converted to agriculture and settlement areas. Human activities continue to degrade or destroy the small patches of remaining forest and the wildlife that lives there. Road-building, settlements, livestock grazing, and hunting are ongoing threats.

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