Dry zone foothills spiny scrub

Description

This ecosystem occurs on the rocky foothills of the eastern dry zone and is characterised by the presence of thorny species mixed with low bushy Dahat (Tectona hamiltoniana). Low canopy of less than 5 m and very sparse. Occurs on both limestone and siltstone. Includes succulent Euphorbia, some patchy Themeda and Aristida, but grass cover may be continuous enough to carry fire. Bamboo may be present.

Assessment summary

Dry zone foothills thorny scrub is broadly distributed around Myanmar’s central dry zone. This ecosystem is likely to have been extensively degraded historically, with much of the degradation process continuing. However, no information that could reliably be used to assess Criterion C or D was found. We recommend further work to better assess Criteria A, C and D. Despite an initial assessment from available data as Least Concern, a post-assessment expert review indicated that further data could lead to an assessment outcome other than Least Concern. The status of this ecosystem is therefore Data Deficient, and we recommend urgent further work to enable a full assessment of the status of this ecosystem. Data Deficient.