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Cause for concern in South East Asia
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
South Taiwan monsoon rain forests
With 20 million people and an economy based on agriculture and industry, Taiwan's natural environments have been severely affected by human activity. Most of the natural habitat occurs in mountain areas where nature reserves and national parks have been established. Today, forest cover is estimated to be about 52 percent, but a majority is made up of monoculture plantations (plantations of a single tree species), and the trees tend to be non-native. Mangrove forests are threatened by conversion of coastal habitat, and habitat in Kenting National Park is threatened by agriculture, mining, road construction, and thermal pollution from a nearby nuclear power plant.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Taiwan subtropical evergreen forests
Taiwan's large human population keeps growing as people move to the island from mainland China. This trend, combined with intensive agricultural and industrial development, has severely affected natural environments. Most remaining trees grow on high mountain slopes and in nature preserves. Even these forests are not immune, however, as people gather economically important species, such as figs, laurels, bamboo, conifers, and camphor for human use.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests
Human needs for fuel, crops, pasture, water, and electricity threaten what remains of this ecoregion. As crops and grazing land press up against even the largest reserves, habitat disappears along with the animals that tigers hunt. The tigers may then turn to livestock for food. Consequently, local people may kill the tigers to protect their livestock. Dams constructed for impounding water and generating electricity flood vast areas of habitat, thus increasing the pressures facing tigers and all other animals of this ecoregion.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
Central Indochina dry forests
Although large blocks of forest remain in the portion of this ecoregion in northeastern Cambodia, natural habitat has been extensively cleared throughout Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. Conversion of the forest to agriculture and settlements, as well as frequent fires, remain the main threats to habitat and biodiversity. Irrigation, impoundments, and other water schemes have also altered habitat around wetlands.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
Chhota-Nagpur dry deciduous forests
Mining for iron ore and coal is taking place throughout the ecoregion. This affects large areas of habitat, disrupting the migration routes of elephant herds and dispersal routes for tigers. Other threats come from livestock grazing, which damages vegetation.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
East Deccan dry-evergreen forests
Many years of grazing from domestic livestock have reduced much of the forest to stunted scrub vegetation. Only five percent of the ecoregion's original forest remains, and that's in scattered fragments. Human activities provide a continued threat as local residents practice shifting cultivation. There are two small protected areas, but they cover less than one percent of the ecoregion.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
Irrawaddy dry forests
Most of this ecoregion's forests have been converted to agriculture or otherwise degraded. Many of the larger mammals have been driven to the point of extinction in this area, and poachers intensively hunt those still surviving in the remaining tracts of forest. Many species are declining in numbers because people collect them for food and pets.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests
The area's 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.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests
Nearly two-thirds of the natural forests of this ecoregion have been cleared, and activities from the dense human population continue to degrade the remaining blocks of forest. However, the most serious threat to this area comes from the series of dams being built on the Narmada River. These dams will flood critical habitat and force large numbers of people from local communities into the nearby intact forests.
Indo-Malay
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Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
Northern dry deciduous forests
In many areas of this ecoregion the forest habitat has been degraded by intensive livestock grazing or cleared for growing crops. Less than one-fourth of the natural habitat remains. Wildlife poaching by local tribal communities is a continuing problem, as is their extensive use of forest products such as bamboo shoots, silk cocoons, wild mangos, mushrooms, roots, and tubers.
