Deccan thorn scrub forests

The Deccan thorn scrub forests are a xeric shrubland ecoregion of India and southernmost Sri Lanka. Historically this area was covered by tropical dry deciduous forest, but this only remains in isolated fragments. The vegetation now consists of mainly of southern tropical thorn scrub type forests. These consist of open woodland with thorny trees with short trunks and low, branching crowns; spiny and xerophytic shrubs; and dry grassland. This is the habitat of the great Indian bustard and blackbuck, though these and other animals are declining in numbers; this area was at one time home to large numbers of elephants and tigers. Almost 350 species of bird have been recorded here. The remaining natural habitat is threatened by overgrazing and invasive weeds, but there are a number of small protected areas which provide a haven for the wildlife.

This ecoregion covers the arid portions of the Deccan Plateau, extending across the Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu to the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Only small patches of natural habitat remain, as most of the region has been cleared for grazing.

The annual rainfall is less than 750 mm (30 in), all falling during the short rainy season, and the area receives no rainfall during the months of November to April. Temperatures can exceed 40 °C (104 °F) during the hotter months.

Today the remaining forest is mostly southern tropical thorn scrub, and also includes patches of the original vegetation, tropical dry deciduous forests. The southern tropical thorn scrub forests consist of open, low vegetation with thorny trees with short trunks and low, branching crowns that rarely meet to form a closed canopy. The trees grow up to 6–9 m (20–30 ft). Typical grasses of the ecoregion include Chrysopogon fulvus, Heteropogon contortus, Eremopogon foveolatus, Aristida setacea, and Dactyloctenium species.

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