Northeastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests
Encyclopedia
The Northeastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests is a temperate coniferous forests
ecoregion of the middle to upper elevations of the eastern Himalayas
. It occurs in southeastern Tibet
and northeastern India
.
state. They are also found in so-called "inner valleys", which are valleys that are shielded from the South Asian monsoon
by mountain ridges but still receive enough precipitation to support thriving forests.
In higher elevations, this ecoregion grades into Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows
. In lower elevations it grades into Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests
.
, Picea smithiana, and Abies spp. Less common are Larix griffithiana, Larix potaninii
, Pinus wallichiana, and Taxus baccata
. Near timberline are found various junipers: Juniperus indica
, Juniperus recurva
, and Juniperus squamata
.
Betula utilis
is often found with the conifers. Other broadleaf plants include Acer spp., Magnolia
spp., Sorbus
spp., Viburnum
spp., Lauraceae
, and Aralliaceae.
Rhododendron
s reach their pinnacle in this ecoregion. The number of rhododendron species seems to increase above 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft), and the Yarlung Zangbo River
gorge alone may harbor over 60 of them.
, and leopard.
Significant birds include the Tibetan eared-pheasant, white-eared pheasant, and the giant babax.
Temperate coniferous forests
Temperate coniferous forest is a terrestrial biome found in temperate regions of the world with warm summers and cool winters and adequate rainfall to sustain a forest. In most temperate coniferous forests, evergreen conifers predominate, while some are a mix of conifers and broadleaf evergreen...
ecoregion of the middle to upper elevations of the eastern Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. It occurs in southeastern Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
and northeastern 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
Northeastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests cover 46300 sqkm in the eastern Himalaya, occurring between 2500 and 4200 m (8,202.1 and 13,779.5 ft). They occur in along the border of Tibet and India's Arunachal PradeshArunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...
state. They are also found in so-called "inner valleys", which are valleys that are shielded from the South Asian monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
by mountain ridges but still receive enough precipitation to support thriving forests.
In higher elevations, this ecoregion grades into Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows
Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows
The Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion of Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal, which lies between the tree line and snow line in the eastern portion of the Himalaya Range.-Setting:...
. In lower elevations it grades into Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests
Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests
The Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests is a temperate broadleaf forest ecoregion found in the middle elevations of the eastern Himalayas, including parts of Nepal, India, and Bhutan...
.
Flora
The dominant trees are Tsuga dumosaTsuga dumosa
Tsuga dumosa, commonly called the Himalayan Hemlock or in Chinese, Yunnan Tieshan , is a species of conifer native to the eastern Himalayas. It occurs in parts of India, Burma, Vietnam, Tibet, and China. Within its native range the tree is used for construction as well as for furniture...
, Picea smithiana, and Abies spp. Less common are Larix griffithiana, Larix potaninii
Larix potaninii
Larix potaninii is a species of conifer in the Pinaceae family.It is found in China and Nepal.-References:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
, Pinus wallichiana, and Taxus baccata
Taxus baccata
Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may be now known as the English yew, or European yew.-Description:It is a small-...
. Near timberline are found various junipers: 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....
, Juniperus recurva
Juniperus recurva
Juniperus recurva is a juniper native to the Himalaya, from northern Pakistan east to western Yunnan in southwestern China. It grows at 3,000-4,000 m altitude....
, and Juniperus squamata
Juniperus squamata
Juniperus squamata is a species of juniper native to the Himalaya and China, from northeastern Afghanistan east to western Yunnan in southwestern China, and with disjunct populations north to western Gansu and east to Fujian. It grows at 1,600-4,900 m altitude...
.
Betula utilis
Betula utilis
Betula utilis is a Birch tree native to the Himalayas, growing at elevations up to . The specific epithet, utilis, refers to the many uses of the different parts of the tree. The white, paper-like bark of the tree was used in ancient times for writing Sanskrit scriptures and texts...
is often found with the conifers. Other broadleaf plants include Acer spp., Magnolia
Magnolia
Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol....
spp., Sorbus
Sorbus
Sorbus is a genus of about 100–200 species of trees and shrubs in the subfamily Maloideae of the Rose family Rosaceae. Species of Sorbus are commonly known as whitebeam, rowan, service tree, and mountain ash...
spp., Viburnum
Viburnum
Viburnum is a genus of about 150–175 species of shrubs or small trees in the moschatel family, Adoxaceae. Its current classification is based on molecular phylogeny...
spp., Lauraceae
Lauraceae
The Lauraceae or Laurel family comprises a group of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. The family contains about 55 genera and over 3500, perhaps as many as 4000, species world-wide, mostly from warm or tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia and South America...
, and Aralliaceae.
Rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
s reach their pinnacle in this ecoregion. The number of rhododendron species seems to increase above 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft), and the Yarlung Zangbo River
Yarlung Zangbo River
Yarlung River is a watercourse that originates upstream from the South Tibet Valley and Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, in Tibet. It then passes through the state of Arunachal Pradesh, India, where it is known as the Dihang....
gorge alone may harbor over 60 of them.
Fauna
Important mammals in this ecoregion include the red panda, takin, musk deer, red goral, Asiatic black bearAsiatic Black Bear
The Asian black bear , also known as the moon bear or white-chested bear is a medium-sized species of bear, largely adapted for arboreal life, which occurs through much of southern Asia, Korea, northeastern China, the Russian far east and Honshū and Shikoku islands of Japan...
, and leopard.
Significant birds include the Tibetan eared-pheasant, white-eared pheasant, and the giant babax.