1. Western Himalaya - Alpine
🌱 JuniperProducer
→
IbexHerbivore
→
Snow LeopardApex
→
🍄 FungiDecomposer
Note: Low productivity. Vulture / Eagle-owl clean carcasses. Cold slows decomposition.
2. Eastern Himalaya - Cloud Forest
🌱 Figs / BambooProducer
→
Red PandaHerbivore
→
Clouded LeopardCarnivore
→
🍄 Moss fungi
Hornbill link: Hornbill eats figs → disperses seeds → grows new producers.
3. Brahmaputra Valley - Grassland
🌱 Elephant grass
→
Rhino / ElephantMega-herbivore
→
TigerApex
→
🍄 Termites
Sarus Crane → eats insects / wetland plants. Ibis → fish → wetland sub-chain.
4. Sundarbans - Mangrove
🌱 Sundari leaves / Algae
→
Crab / Deer
→
Tiger / CrocodileApex
→
🍄 Bacteria
Detritus chain dominant: fallen leaves → crabs → kingfisher → croc.
5. Central India - Dry Deciduous
🌱 Teak / Grass
→
Chital / Sambar
→
Bengal Tiger
→
🍄 Vulture*scavenger
*Vulture + Eagle-owl: scavenger / nocturnal predator clean-up crew. Peacock = omnivore mid-level.
6. Gir - Thorn Scrub
🌱 Acacia
→
Nilgai / Deer
→
Asiatic Lion
→
🍄 Beetles
Flamingo wetland side-chain: Algae → crustaceans → Flamingo.
7. Western Ghats - Evergreen
🌱 Evergreen fruit
→
Macaque / Elephant
→
Tiger / Leopard
→
🍄 Fungi
Hornbill = keystone: eats 50+ fruit species, regenerates forest.
8. Deccan Plateau - Scrub
🌱 Grasses
→
Blackbuck / Insects
→
Wolf / Roller*
→
🍄 Ants
*Indian Roller: insect → small vertebrate controller.
9. Thar Desert - Arid
🌱 Khejri / Cactus
→
Gerbil / Insects
→
Eagle-Owl / Fox
→
🍄 Dry bacteria
Water-scarce: food web collapses to nocturnal links.
10. Eastern Ghats Forest
🌱 Sal leaves
→
Elephant calf plants
→
Leopard
→
🍄 Termites
Elephant = ecosystem engineer: clears paths, spreads seeds via dung.
11. Coastal Wetlands
🌱 Algae / Plankton
→
Shrimp / Fish
→
Flamingo / Ibis
→
🍄 Bacteria
Filter-feeders link microscopic producers to birds.
12. Southern Shola - Montane
🌱 Shola grass
→
Nilgiri Tahr
→
Leopard
→
🍄 Fungi
Isolated sky-island: short chain, highly endemic.