Photograph by   Most of the island of Sri Lanka, except for the southwestern quarter, the central mountain range, and the Jaffna peninsula in the extreme north. Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests   18,700 square miles (48,400 square kilometers) -- about twice the size of Vermont Vulnerable

· Introducing the Dry Forests
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern

Introducing the Dry Forests

Dry evergreen forests and grasslands spread across the flat areas of the island country of Sri Lanka, and thorny scrub grows in some of the more disturbed areas. These expanses of trees and open space give large numbers of Asian elephants room to forage for the huge amounts of leaves, bark, fruit, and other vegetation it takes to keep them alive.

Special Features

Not as well known as Sri Lankaâs rain forests, the dry evergreen forests deserve special recognition. These are among the few dry forests in the Indo-Pacific region that keep their leaves during the long dry season, and they are more intact than those found elsewhere. In these forests, water is scarce except during the monsoon season, which runs from December to March. During the dry season, lowland grasslands and associated river systems provide critical water and fodder for plant-eating wildlife such as elephants.

	The Sri Lanka dry evergreen forests harbor one of Asiaâs largest elephant populations, estimated to number between 2,500 to 4,000 animals.

Wild Side

Spectcacular reptiles have found haven among the rivers and estuaries of this ecoregion. Freshwater and mugger rocodiles inhabit the natural water bodies and have adapted to the many ancient reservoirs that formed part of an extensive irrigation system. The water monitor, the second largest lizard in the world after the Komodo dragon, is also found in or near the water, often searching for crocodile eggs and other favorite foods. Sri Lanka leopards (a subspecies of the common leopard), sloth bears, purple-faced leaf monkeys, and 71 other species of mammals can also be found here.

Cause for Concern

Currently, about 75 percent of this ecoregion is deforested due to agriculture, resettlements, and small-scale logging. Most of the existing forest is the result of regrowth after previous cutting, and only a few patches of original, old-growth forests remain.

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