- They are transitional forests between tropical wet evergreen forests and tropical deciduous forests.
- They are comparatively drier areas compared to tropical wet evergreen forests.
Climatic Conditions
- Annual rainfall is 200-250 cm
- Mean annual temperature varies from 24°C to 27°C
- The relative humidity is about 75 per cent
- The dry season is not short like in tropical evergreen forests.
Distribution
- Western coast
- Assam
- Lower slopes of the Eastern Himalayas
- Odisha and
- Andamans
Characteristics
- The semi-evergreen forests are less dense.
- They are more gregarious [living in flocks or colonies – more pure stands] than the wet evergreen forests.
- These forests are characterized by many species.
- Trees usually have buttressed trunks with abundant epiphytes.
- The important species are laurel, rosewood, mesua, thorny bamboo – Western Ghats, white cedar, Indian chestnut, champa, mango, etc. – Himalayan region.
Timber
Hardwood: Similar to that in tropical evergreen forests except that these forests are less dense with more pure stands (timber industry here is better than in evergreen forests).
