Climatic Conditions
- Annual rainfall 100 to 200 cm.
- Mean annual temperature of about 27°C
- The average annual relative humidity of 60 to 75 per cent.
- Spring (between winter and summer) and summer are dry.
Characteristics
- The trees drop their leaves during the spring and early summer when sufficient moisture is not available.
- The general appearance is bare in extreme summers (April-May).
- Tropical moist deciduous forests present irregular top storey [25 to 60 m].
- Heavily buttressed trees and fairly complete undergrowth.
- These forests occupy a much larger area than the evergreen forests but large tracts under these forests have been cleared for cultivation.
Distribution
- Belt running along the Western Ghats surrounding the belt of evergreen forests.
- A strip along the Shiwalik range including terai and bhabar from 77° E to 88° E.
- Manipur and Mizoram.
- Hills of eastern Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
- Chota Nagpur Plateau.
- Most of Odisha.
- Parts of West Bengal and
- Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Timber
- These provide valuable timers like Teak.
- The main species found in these forests are teak, sal, laurel, rosewood, amla, jamun, bamboo, etc.
- It is comparatively easy to exploit these forests due to their high degree of gregariousness (more pure stands).
