Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, India Photograph by Christine Balboa   Extends across Indiaâs northwestern states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests   103,100 square miles (267,000 square kilometers) -- about the size of Arkansas and Alabama combined Critical/Endangered

· Unique Life in a Dry Forest
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern

Unique Life in a Dry Forest

What conditions produce a dry forest? In this case, little rainfall for over eight months of the year and temperatures that regularly exceed 104 degrees F (40 degrees C). This seems like an uninviting place to live, with trees that are bare for much of the year and where thorny scrub and rocky outcrops dominate the landscape. But many animals thrive here-- including the Asiatic lion, which is found nowhere else on Earth.

Special Features

The land here is ancient. It features one of the worldâs oldest mountain ranges, in the hills of the Aravalli Range, which rises to over 5,647 feet (1,721 m) at its highest point, Mount Abu. It is also the meeting point for plant species from two different habitats, dry forest and thorn scrub. Another interesting feature of this ecoregion is that a small, isolated part of it is completely surrounded by the Northwestern Thorn Scrub Forests ecoregion.

	How do you tell an Asiatic lion from an African lion? One way is by looking at the ears. In male African lions, the mane completely covers the ears. Asiatic lions have shorter manes, and their ears are always poking out.

Wild Side

Approximately 80 species of mammals live in these forests and grasslands. In the protected areas, there are enough chousinghas, blackbucks, chinkaras, and other hoofed mammals to feed large predators such as leopards and lions. Enough is left over to support the hyenas that scavenge the forests at night, looking for the carcasses left behind by the larger carnivores. The forest is also home to a surprisingly large number of bird species for such a dry area. The threatened Indian bustard is one of approximately 300 species of birds in this ecoregion.

Cause for Concern

The areaâs fast-growing human population relies on the forests to meet a variety of its needs. Livestock grazing, burning, and wood cutting have all taken a severe toll on the natural habitat. Large-scale mining for marble and minerals is also beginning to degrade the habitat. Currently, only a few large blocks of natural habitat remain.

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