Shan foothills Than-Dahat grassy forest

Description

Shan foothills Than-Dahat grassy forest is an open woodland dominated by Tectona hamiltoniana (Dahat) and Terminalia oliveri (Than). This ecosystem occurs around the eastern margin of the central dry zone, particularly on clay soils that form in the foothills of the Shan Hills (Davis, 1960). Trees in Than-Dahat grassy forests are rarely greater than 10 metres tall, and have an open semi-continuous canopy that defoliates in the dry season. An open shrub layer and semi-continuous ground cover of C4 grasses is present, and bamboo may occur (Oo and Koike, 2015). Two other Than-Dahat ecosystems are recognised to occur around the fringes of the central dry zone in Myanmar. All Than-Dahat ecosystems in Myanmar have been subject to extensive fragmentation as a result of human population growth and conversion of dry zone ecosystems to agriculture.

Assessment summary

This ecosystem is restricted to the foothills along the Shan escarpment. Ongoing threats, particularly fuelwood cutting and infrastructure development within its range, suggest this ecosystem is undergoing a continuing decline, and therefore qualifies for listing under criterion B1. Vulnerable.