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{{Short description|Broadleaf forest region in South Asia}}
{{Infobox ecoregion
| name = Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests
| image = Uninhabited island near Rathafandhoo, Maldives- Maldives is famous for its spectacular coral reefs 2013-04-05 01-57.jpg
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Islet near Rathafandoo, Maldives
| map = Ecoregion IM0125.png
| map_size =
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Ecoregion territory (islands inside red-dashed box)
| biogeographic_realm = [[Indomalayan realm]]
| biome = [[tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests]]
| area = 277
| country = [[India]] ([[Lakshadweep]])
| country1 = [[Maldives]],
| country2 = [[United Kingdom]] ([[British Indian Ocean Territory]])
| state =
| region_type =
| border =
| bird_species =
| mammal_species =
| elevation =
| geology =
| habitat_loss =
| habitat_loss_ref =
| conservation = Critical/endangered<ref name = wwf>{{WWF ecoregion|name=Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests|id=im0125}}</ref>
|protected = 73 km2 (26
|protected_ref = )<ref name = dinerstein>Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b. [https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/bix014]</ref>
|embedded =
}}

The '''Maldives–Lakshadweep–Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests''' is a [[tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests|tropical moist broadleaf forest]] [[ecoregion]] in [[South Asia]]. It spans a chain of coralline islands in the Indian Ocean, including [[Lakshadweep]] (Laccadive Islands), a union territory of [[India]]; the [[Maldives]], an independent country; and the [[British Indian Ocean Territory]], an overseas territory of the [[United Kingdom]].<ref name = wikramanayake>Wikramanayake, Eric; Eric Dinerstein; Colby J. Loucks; et al. (2002). ''Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a Conservation Assessment.'' Washington, DC: Island Press.</ref>

==Geography==
The ecoregion is made up of low islands made mostly of coral sand, generally no more than 5 meters above sea level, and surrounded by extensive [[coral reef]]s. The islands rest on the [[Chagos–Laccadive Ridge]], an oceanic ridge and plateau, and extend 2,550 km north and south across the equator, from latitude 14º N to 8º S. Lakshadweep lies to the north, 300 km west of India's southwest coast. Lakshadweep consists of 36 small islands between 8º - 14º N, with a total land area of 32 km2. The Maldives are the largest island group, with approximately 1190 islands between 7º N and the equator. The Chagos Archipelago lies between 5° and 8° S, and constitute the British Indian Ocean Territory. [[Diego Garcia]], a huge atoll, is the largest of the Chagos islands.<ref name = wikramanayake/>

The coral sand that makes up the islands comes from the skeletons of reef corals which have been broken up into fine particles by wave action. Wind, waves, and currents form islands from the sand. The coral reefs provide the raw material for the islands, and the reefs provide protection from erosive waves and currents that allows the islands to form and persist. Coral sand is highly porous, and water and organic nutrients quickly leach through it. The islands' small size, low relief, and porous soil mean that, despite high rainfall, they have no running streams; rainfall percolates 1–3 meters below the ground to shallow freshwater [[aquifer]]s lying above salt water.<ref name = wikramanayake/>

==Climate==
The climate of the island is tropical and equatorial, with warm temperatures that stay relatively constant throughout the year. Rainfall occurs mostly with the April-to-October [[southwest monsoon]], and there is a dry season from December to March associated with the northeast monsoon off the Asian continent. Rainfall varies from 1600 mm annually in dry parts of Lakshadweep to 3,800 mm per year in the southern Maldives.

==Flora==
The vegetation on the islands is dependent on the underlying soils. Pioneer plants colonize areas of fresh sand, and stabilize them. Areas with infertile soil are generally covered with sedges and shrubs that can tolerate drought and salt spray. Sedges of genus ''[[Cyperus]]'' and the shrub ''[[Scaevola taccada]]'' are the most common. In the Laccadive Islands the low tree ''[[Argusia]]'' is sometimes found with the sedges and shrubs.<ref name = wwf/>

Where plant cover persists over time, organic material can accumulate in the soil and sustain larger and more diverse plants. Tropical rain forests grow where soils and fresh water are favorable. Most of the original forests have been cleared for coconut plantations and other crops, but small areas of native vegetation remain, some disturbed and others relatively intact.

The Chagos Islands were the last settled and are the least disturbed. Plant communities on the islands include:<ref name = wwf/><ref name = whistler/>
* '''littoral shrubland''' is found along the seaward shores of the islands. ''Scaevola taccada'' is the dominant shrub species, growing from 2 to 5 meters high. The shrubs ''[[Tournefortia argentea]]'' and ''[[Suriana maritima]]'' are found close to the shore, along with the vine ''[[Ipomoea macrantha]]''.
* '''''Hernandia'' forest''' is dominated by the Chinese-lantern tree ''[[Hernandia nymphaeifolia]]'', sometimes with coconut palm (''Coco nucifera'') and ''[[Terminalia catappa]]'', and the smaller trees ''[[Morinda citrifolia]]'', ''[[Guettarda speciosa]]'', and ''[[Neisosperma oppositifolium]]''. The fern ''[[Asplenium nidus]]'' grows on the forest floor and as an [[epiphyte]] in the trees.
* '''''Calophyllum'' forest''' is dominated by the tree ''[[Calophyllum inophyllum]]'', typically in pure stands, forming a dense canopy with little understory growth. The trees can grow to large size, with trunks up to two metres in diameter.
* '''''Barringtonia'' forest''' is dominated by ''[[Barringtonia asiatica]]'', which can grow to a similar size as the ''Calophyllum'' trees.
* '''''Cordia'' forest''' is dominated by the tree ''[[Cordia subcordata]]'', either in pure stands or mixed with ''Hernandia nymphaeifolia'', ''Morinda citrifolia'', and ''Neisosperma oppositifolium''.
* '''''Pisonia'' forest''' occurs rarely, and is characterized by the tree ''[[Pisonia grandis]]'', which can attain large size. The tree is associated with seabird colonies, since its sticky seeds are spread by birds and it can tolerate [[guano]]-derived soils.
* '''''Guettarda'' forest''' is dominated by the low tree ''Guettarda speciosa'', with smaller numbers of ''Neisosperma oppositifolium''. It may be a transitional zone or stage between littoral shrubland and other forest types.
* '''''Casuarina'' woodland''' are woodlands dominated by ''[[Casuarina equisetifolia]]''. Its needle-like leaves typically form a thick layer of litter that limits the growth of understory plants, but sometimes it has an understory of shrubs including ''[[Premna serratifolia]]'' and ''Scaevola taccada''.
* '''Coconut woodland''' includes both abandoned plantations and natural woodlands, either in pure stands or mixed with ''Hernandia, Guettarda'', and ''Neisosperma''. Understory plants include ''Asplenium nidus'', native herbs ''[[Boerhavia albiflora]], [[Fimbristylis cymosa]], and [[Stenotaphrum micranthum]]''.

Freshwater marshes are found where the water table is high, and saltwater wetlands and [[mangrove]] forests grow in sheltered shoreline areas. A 2,500 km2 mangrove forest remains on [[Minicoy]] island, and ''[[Bruguiera parviflora]]'' is the predominant mangrove species.<ref name = wwf/>

The islands have few endemic plants, and the native plants are mostly typical of [[Indo-Pacific]] coral islands. The ancient origins of the islands' plant species include Sri Lanka (44%), Africa (28%), and [[Malesia]] (25%).<ref name = wwf/> The present flora of the islands includes both native species and species that were intentionally or unintentionally introduced by humans.<ref name = whistler>Whistler, W. Arthur (1997)."Botanical Survey of Diego Garcia Chagos Archipelago, British Indian Ocean Territory". in ''Diego Garcia Natural Resource Management Plan'', Prepared by Belt Collins Hawaii for the United States Navy, April 1997.</ref>

==Fauna==
The islands have few terrestrial animals.

The islands are home to subspecies of [[Indian flying fox]] (''Pteropus giganteus ariel'') and [[small flying fox]] (''Pteropus hypomelanus maris''). Both subspecies are endemic to the ecoregion.<ref name = wwf/>

The Maldivian pond heron (''Ardeola grayii phillipsi''), a subspecies of the [[Indian pond heron]], is endemic to the islands.

Thirteen or fourteen seabird species nest in the Maldives, often on small islets. The Chagos and Lakshadweep also have large rookeries. These include the [[white tern]] (''Gygis alba monte''), [[lesser frigatebird]] (''Fregata ariel iredalei''), [[black-naped tern]] (''Sterna sumatrana''), [[bridled tern]] (''Onychoprion anaethetus''), and [[greater crested tern]] (''Thalasseus bergii''). The [[red-footed booby]] (''Sula sula'') has a large population in the Chagos islands.<ref name = wwf/>

The islands' native reptiles include two geckos, ''[[Hemidactylus frenatus]]'' and ''[[Hemidactylus parvimaculatus|H. parvimaculatus]]'',<ref>Agarwal, Ishan & Jablonski, Daniel & Bauer, A.. (2019). The identity and probable origin of the Hemidactylus geckos of the Maldives. Herpetological Journal. 29. 230-236. 10.33256/hj29.4.230236.</ref> the [[Oriental garden lizard]] (''Calotes versicolor'') and another [[Agamidae|agamid]] lizard, the [[white-spotted supple skink]] (''Lygosoma albopunctatum''), and two snakes, the [[Lycodon aulicus|Indian wolf snake]] (''Lycodon aulicus'') and [[Indotyphlops braminus|Brahminy blind snake]] (''Indotyphlops braminus'').<ref name = wwf/>

Two native amphibians have been found on the islands, the [[Indian burrowing frog]] (''Sphaerotheca breviceps'') and [[Duttaphrynus melanostictus|Asian common toad]] (''Duttaphrynus melanostictus'').<ref name = wwf/>

==History==
Lakshadweep and the Maldives have been settled for thousands of years. The people of the Laccadives speak a dialect of [[Malayalam]], the predominant language in the adjacent Indian state of [[Kerala]]. The people of the Maldives and Minicoy in Lakshadweep speak [[Maldivian language|Maldivian]], also known as Dhivehi, an [[Indo-Aryan language]] most closely related to [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]] spoken in nearby [[Sri Lanka]].

There is no record of permanent settlement on the Chagos Archipelago until 1793, when the French established a settlement and coconut plantations on Diego Garcia. The French brought enslaved people to the islands to work in the plantations. Their descendants, the [[Chagossians]], speak a version of [[Bourbonnais Creole]], a French-based creole language also spoken on [[Réunion]] and [[Mauritius]] in the southwestern Indian Ocean.

The British consolidated control over the islands at the end of the 18th century. Lakshadweep was administered as part of [[British India]], the Chagos Islands were administered from [[Mauritius]], and the Maldives had local rulers under a British protectorate.

Settlers brought food crops to the islands, and domestic animals including cats, chickens, goats, rabbits, house mice, [[black rat]]s (''Rattus rattus''), [[Asian house shrew]]s (''Suncus murinus'') and donkeys. Coconut plantations were expanded during the 19th century and became the islands' major export crop. Important island crops currently include bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, mangoes (''Mangifera indica''), [[Pouteria sapota|chico]] (''Pouteria sapota''), yams, taro, millet, watermelons, citrus, and pineapples.<ref name = wwf/>

India, including Lakshadweep, became independent in 1947. The Maldives became independent in 1965. The UK split administration of the Chagos Archipelago from that of Mauritius in 1965, three years prior to Mauritian independence. In the late 1960s, the UK government leased Diego Garcia to the United States, which turned it into a naval base. The Chagossians were expelled from the islands and resettled in Mauritius, the [[Seychelles]], and the UK. Mauritius still contests the UK's sovereignty over the islands, and the Chagossians continue to contest the legality of their expulsion and are seeking to return home.

== Protected areas ==
A 2017 assessment found that 73 km2, or 26%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas.<ref name = dinerstein/>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{commons-inline}}
* {{WWF ecoregion|name=Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests|id=im0125}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests}}
[[Category:Chagos Archipelago]]
[[Category:Ecoregions of Asia]]
[[Category:Ecoregions of India]]
[[Category:Environment of the Maldives]]
[[Category:Geography of the Maldives]]
[[Category:Indomalayan ecoregions]]
[[Category:Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests]]

Maldives–Lakshadweep–Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests - Revision history

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