Chin hills warm temperate rainforest

Description

An overwhelmingly evergreen closed-canopy forest type occuring in the humid warm temperate areas of north-western Myanmar. This ecosystem is structurally simple, with a relatively uniform canopy consisting of notophyll-microphyll leaf sizes, buttreses are uncommon. Common at elevations over about 1500 m. Oaks (Quercus) and chestnuts (Castanopsis) are common in this ecosystem, and Dipterocarps are generally rare. A particularly good example of this ecosystem is Natma Taung National Park, the highest point in Chin State.

Assessment summary

Chin hills warm temperate rainforest is broadly distributed and there is little evidence to suggest widespread losses of this ecosystem type or likely future declines under climate change. However, primary forest data suggest that historical degradation of this ecosystem has occurred, sufficient to meet the category thresholds for Vulnerable under Criterion D3. Vulnerable.