Wildlife of Burma
Encyclopedia
Wildlife of Burma, also known as Myanmar, includes its flora
and fauna
and their natural habitat
s.
. Monsoon forest is dry at least three months a year, and is dominated by deciduous
trees. Rainforest has a rainy season of at least nine months, and are dominated by broadleaf evergreen. In the region north of the Tropic of Cancer
, in the Himalayan region
, subtropical broadleaf evergreen dominates to an elevation of 2000m, and from 2000m to 3000m, semi-deciduous
broadleaf dominates, and above 3000m, evergreen conifers and subalpine
forest
are the primary fauna until the alpine
scrubland.
The area from Yangon
to Myitkyina
is mostly monsoon forest, while peninsular Malaysia south of Mawlamyine
is primarily rainforest, with some overlap between the two. Along the coasts of Rakhine State
and Tanintharyi Division
, tidal forests occur in estuaries
, lagoon
s, tidal creeks, and low island
s. These forests are host to the much-depleted Myanmar Coast mangroves
habitat of mangrove
and other trees that grow in mud and are resistant to sea water. Forests along the beaches consist of palm trees, hibiscus
, casuarina
s, and other trees resistant to storms.
species, 300 reptile
species, and about 100 bird
species.
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
and their natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s.
Flora
Like all Southeastern Asian forests, the forests of Burma can be divided into two categories: monsoon forest and rainforestRainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
. Monsoon forest is dry at least three months a year, and is dominated by deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
trees. Rainforest has a rainy season of at least nine months, and are dominated by broadleaf evergreen. In the region north of the Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Cancer
The Tropic of Cancer, also referred to as the Northern tropic, is the circle of latitude on the Earth that marks the most northerly position at which the Sun may appear directly overhead at its zenith...
, in the Himalayan region
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
, subtropical broadleaf evergreen dominates to an elevation of 2000m, and from 2000m to 3000m, semi-deciduous
Semi-deciduous
Semi-deciduous is a botanical term which refers to plants that lose part of their foliage, also Semi-deciduous plants can mean, that plants can lose their foliage for a very short period, when old leaves fall off and new foliage growth is starting. This phenomenon occurs in tropical and...
broadleaf dominates, and above 3000m, evergreen conifers and subalpine
Subalpine
The subalpine zone is the biotic zone immediately below tree line around the world. Species that occur in this zone depend on the location of the zone on the Earth, for example, Snow Gum in Australia, or Subalpine Larch, Mountain Hemlock and Subalpine Fir in western North America.Trees in the...
forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
are the primary fauna until the alpine
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
scrubland.
The area from Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
to Myitkyina
Myitkyina
Myitkyina is the capital city of Kachin State in Myanmar , located from Yangon, and from Mandalay. In Burmese it means "near the big river", and in fact "Myitkyina" lies on the west bank of the Ayeyarwady River, just below from Myit-son of its two headstreams...
is mostly monsoon forest, while peninsular Malaysia south of Mawlamyine
Mawlamyine
Mawlamyine is the fourth largest city of Burma , situated 300 km south east of Yangon and 70 km south of Thaton, at the mouth of Thanlwin river...
is primarily rainforest, with some overlap between the two. Along the coasts of Rakhine State
Rakhine State
Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between...
and Tanintharyi Division
Tanintharyi Division
Tanintharyi Region , is an administrative region of Myanmar, covering the long narrow southern part of the country on the Kra Isthmus. It borders with the Andaman Sea to the west and with the Tenasserim Hills, beyond which lies Thailand, to the east. To the north is the Mon State. The capital of...
, tidal forests occur in estuaries
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
, lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
s, tidal creeks, and low island
Low island
A low island is, in geology , an island of coral origin. The term applies whether the island was formed as a result of sedimentation upon a coral reef or of the uplifting of such islands...
s. These forests are host to the much-depleted Myanmar Coast mangroves
Myanmar Coast mangroves
The Burmese or Myanmar Coast mangroves are an ecoregion in Burma, Malaysia, and Thailand where there were once thick forests of mangroves but today most has been cleared, resulting in loss of habitat for wildlife.-Location and description:...
habitat of mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
and other trees that grow in mud and are resistant to sea water. Forests along the beaches consist of palm trees, hibiscus
Hibiscus
Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world...
, casuarina
Casuarina
Casuarina is a genus of 17 species in the family Casuarinaceae, native to Australasia, southeast Asia, and islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It was once treated as the sole genus in the family, but has been split into three genera .They are evergreen shrubs and trees growing to 35 m tall...
s, and other trees resistant to storms.
Fauna
Burma is home to nearly 300 known mammalMammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
species, 300 reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
species, and about 100 bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
species.
See also
- Wildlife of IndiaWildlife of IndiaThe wildlife of India is a mix of species of number of different types of organism. The region's rich and diverse wildlife is preserved in 89 national parks, 13 Bio reserves and 400+ wildlife sanctuaries across the country. Since India is home to a number of rare and threatened animal species,...
- Wildlife of PakistanWildlife of PakistanWildlife of Pakistan: flora and fauna and their natural habitats.-Northern highlands and plains:The northern highlands include lower elevation areas of Potohar and Azad Kashmir regions and higher elevation areas embracing the foothills of Himalayan, Karakorum and Hindukush mountain ranges...
- Wildlife of BhutanWildlife of BhutanThe Kingdom of Bhutan is a small, landlocked nation nestled in the southern slopes of the Eastern Himalaya. To its north lies the Tibet Autonomous Region of China and to the west, south and east lies the Indian states of Sikkim, Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh....
- Wildlife of BangladeshWildlife of BangladeshThe wildlife of Bangladesh includes Bangladesh's flora and fauna and their natural habitats.The dhole is an animal which is on the verge of extinction....
- Wildlife of Sri LankaWildlife of Sri LankaWildlife of Sri Lanka includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. Sri Lanka has one of the highest rates of biological endemism in the world even though it is relatively small.-Fauna:...
- Wildlife of MaldivesWildlife of MaldivesThe wildlife of Maldives includes the flora and fauna of the islands, reefs, and the surrounding ocean.-Vertebrates:-Fish:...
- Wildlife of the Indian SubcontinentWildlife of the Indian SubcontinentWildlife and wildlife habitat of the Greater India encompasses that of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Burma / Myanmar and Maldives.-See also:*Wildlife of India*Wildlife of Pakistan*Wildlife of Bhutan...