East Deccan dry evergreen forests, ecoregion in India

The East Deccan dry evergreen forests are an ecoregion in eastern India, covering parts of the Eastern Ghats and coastal plains. This area is characterized by dry evergreen forest patches that survive in a landscape of dry deciduous forests and scrub.

The ecoregion has been shaped by human activity for centuries, with shifting cultivation and grazing influencing its extent. In recent decades, conservation efforts have focused on protecting the remaining patches of dry evergreen forest.

Local communities often rely on these forests for fuelwood, fodder, and other forest products, and some patches are protected as sacred groves. Visitors may notice small shrines or temples near forest edges, reflecting the spiritual value of these natural areas.

Access to the ecoregion is mainly through roads that connect towns and villages in the region. Visitors should be prepared for hot and dry conditions, especially outside the monsoon season, and carry water and sun protection.

Some plant species in this ecoregion, such as the cycad Cycas beddomei, are found nowhere else and are adapted to the dry conditions. The forests also harbor a few populations of the rare Jerdon's courser, a nocturnal bird that is hard to spot.