Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe
Encyclopedia
The Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe is a montane grasslands and shrublands
ecoregion found in parts of Pakistan
, China
, Afghanistan
, and India
.
Range, west of the Himalaya Range. It also includes nearby ranges, such as the Ladakh Range
.
s. Protected slopes and ravines contains Salix denticulata, Mertensia tibetica, Potentilla desertorum, Juniperus polycarpus, Polygonum viviparum, Berberis pachyacantha, Rosa webbiana, and Spiraea lycoides. Where vegetation ceases to grow, around 4500 metres (14,763.8 ft), are found Delphinium cashmerianum, Glechoma tibetica, Silene longicarpophora, Potentilla fruticosa, and Nepeta
spp.
Shrublands and woodlands are found in valley bottoms. These include Hippophae rhamnoides
, Myricaria elegans, Salix viminalis, Capparis spinosa, Tribulus terrestris
, Pegamum harmala, Sophora alopecuroides, and Lycium ruthenicum. A few remnant steppe forests of Juniperus macropoda
and Juniperus indica
are still found here.
The sheep and goats, as well as smaller mammals, make this ecoregion excellent habitat for the snow leopard.
Both the brown bear and Himalayan black bear are found here.
Bird species richness is low. Common birds include Guldenstadt's redstart, Himalayan monal, rosefinches, raptors
, and vultures.
Montane grasslands and shrublands
Montane grasslands and shrublands is a biome defined by the World Wildlife Fund. The biome includes high altitude grasslands and shrublands around the world....
ecoregion found in parts of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Setting
The Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe is an area of high-elevation grasslands covering 143300 sqkm. It is centered on the KarakoramKarakoram
The Karakoram, or Karakorum , is a large mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, India and China, located in the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan , Ladakh , and Xinjiang region,...
Range, west of the Himalaya Range. It also includes nearby ranges, such as the Ladakh Range
Ladakh range
The Ladakh Range is a segmentf the Karakoram Range, that extends southeastward for 230 miles from the mouth of the Shyok River in the Ladakh region to the Tibetan border...
.
Climate
The mean annual precipitation in the ecoregion varies from 200 to 900 mm (7.9 to 35.4 in), 90 percent in the form of snow.Flora
Most of this ecoregion consists of grasslands and herbaceous plantHerbaceous plant
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
s. Protected slopes and ravines contains Salix denticulata, Mertensia tibetica, Potentilla desertorum, Juniperus polycarpus, Polygonum viviparum, Berberis pachyacantha, Rosa webbiana, and Spiraea lycoides. Where vegetation ceases to grow, around 4500 metres (14,763.8 ft), are found Delphinium cashmerianum, Glechoma tibetica, Silene longicarpophora, Potentilla fruticosa, and Nepeta
Nepeta
Nepeta is a genus of about 250 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. The members of this group are known as catnip or catmint because of their effect on cats—the nepetalactone contained in nepeta binds to the olfactory receptors of cats, typically resulting in temporary euphoria...
spp.
Shrublands and woodlands are found in valley bottoms. These include Hippophae rhamnoides
Hippophae rhamnoides
Hippophae rhamnoides, the common sea-buckthorn, is a deciduous shrub species in the genus Hippophae.Common Sea-buckthorn branches are dense, stiff, and very thorny. The leaves are a distinct pale silvery-green, lanceolate, 3-8 cm long and less than 7 mm broad. It is dioecious, with male and female...
, Myricaria elegans, Salix viminalis, Capparis spinosa, Tribulus terrestris
Tribulus terrestris
Tribulus terrestris is a flowering plant in the family Zygophyllaceae, native to warm temperate and tropical regions of the Old World in southern Europe, southern Asia, throughout Africa, and Australia. It can thrive even in desert climates and poor soil...
, Pegamum harmala, Sophora alopecuroides, and Lycium ruthenicum. A few remnant steppe forests of Juniperus macropoda
Juniperus macropoda
Juniperous macropoda / Juniperous exceisa polycarpus or Pashthani Juniper is a unique ecosystem and is considered as the oldest living creatures on the surface of earth and also known as “Living Fossil”. According some estimation its age ranges from 2000 to 2500 years. Its Botanical Name is...
and Juniperus indica
Juniperus indica
Juniperus indica is a juniper native to high altitudes in the Himalaya, occurring from the northern Indus Valley in Kashmir east to western Yunnan in China....
are still found here.
Fauna
Sheep in this ecoregion include the Marco Polo sheep, Tibetan argali, and urial. Goats include the markhor and ibex.The sheep and goats, as well as smaller mammals, make this ecoregion excellent habitat for the snow leopard.
Both the brown bear and Himalayan black bear are found here.
Bird species richness is low. Common birds include Guldenstadt's redstart, Himalayan monal, rosefinches, raptors
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
, and vultures.
Conservation
Much of the montane habitat in this ecoregion lies in protected areas. These include- Hemis National ParkHemis National ParkHemis National Park is a high altitude national park in the eastern Ladakh region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India...
- Khunjerab National ParkKhunjerab National ParkKhunjerab National Park is a National park in Gilgit Baltistan of Pakistan. It is one of the highest altitude parks in the world. It provides the habitat for a number of endangered and threatened animal species like the Snow leopard, Marco Polo sheep, and Himalayan Ibex.The park lies within the...
- Deosai National ParkDeosai National ParkThe Deosai National Park is located in the Skardu, Astore Districts of Gilgit-Baltistan province, in northernmost Pakistan. The park is located on the Deosai Plains of the Greater Kashmir geographic region...