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Cause for concern in South East Asia
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Sundaland heath forests
Although heath forests are not easily converted to agriculture, more than half of this ecoregion has been cleared by logging and burning. Once degraded, heath forests develop into an open savanna of shrubs and trees over sparse grasses, taking a very long time to return to forest. Two large blocks of intact habitat remain. Experts recommend that illegal logging and poaching need to be controlled and the remaining heath forests be placed under formal protection.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Sundarbans freshwater swamp forests
Hundreds of years of habitation and exploitation by one of the world's densest human populations have exacted a heavy toll of this ecoregion. Most of the natural habitat has been converted to agriculture, and the remaining natural habitat is fragmented and degraded. Additional threats to the natural habitat come from oil spills (carried up the two rivers by incoming tides) and pollution from large cities. Along with habitat loss, illegal hunting has caused several local extinctions of key species such as swamp deer.
More than half of this ecoregion's 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 ecoregion's 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.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Tonle Sap freshwater swamp forests
Excessive forest exploitation -- for agricultural production and water catchments -- has reduced many swampland areas to scrub or secondary forests of non-native (alien) species.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Tonle Sap-Mekong peat swamp forests
Less than 10 percent of this ecoregion's original habitat remains. Excessive forest exploitation has reduced many areas to scrub or secondary forest composed of non-indigenous species. Dams or irrigation channels, which alter the flow of the river systems, are causing frequent and violent floods in the wet season and very low water levels in the dry season. However, mangroves that were affected during periods of war are now recovering through replanting programs.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests
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.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Western Java montane rain
This ecoregion's steep terrain has kept it partially protected from human activity, especially when compared to the island's lowlands. Nevertheless, only a fifth of the original habitat remains, and these forests are scattered in fragments throughout the mountains. Population pressure is becoming more intense, forcing farmers onto steeper lands in the upper watershed forests of this ecoregion.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Western Java rain forests
Java is one of the most densely populated islands in the world--which explains why so little natural habitat remains. Fire, erosion, illegal logging, and farming are major threats to remaining forests. In freshwater swamps, the introduction of the fire-resistant exotic plant called Mimosa pigra has formed impenetrable thickets. A proposed new dam would also destroy the only extensive area of freshwater swamp left in Java.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Hainan Island monsoon rain forests
Rubber, oil, palm, coffee, and other types of plantations occupy much of the island area. Agriculture is practiced intensively in some areas, and in others, slash and burn cultivation is used. Slash and burn is generally an inefficient way to grow food because a large area of forest is converted to scrub land and only a small proportion is used in any given year. Population pressures, combined with these agricultural practices, have resulted in the degradation of large areas of upland habitat. Deforestation on Hainan increases the risk of species extinction. Forty-five of Hainan's 4,200 plant species are listed as endangered.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Nansei Islands subtropical evergreen forests
Due to widespread cultivation and heavy damage in the wake of World War II, most of these islands' original vegetation has been lost. Conversion of lowland evergreen forests through expansion of agricultural and residential areas is a major threat. For example, a few Iriomote wild cats are killed in traffic accidents every year. Introduced predators such as the Japanese weasel have also caused a dramatic decrease in native skink populations.
