Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows
Encyclopedia
The Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows is an montane grasslands and shrublands
ecoregion
of Nepal
, India
, and Tibet
, which lies between the tree line and snow line
in the western portion of the Himalaya Range.
in central Nepal westwards across Uttarakhand
and eastern Himachal Pradesh
states of India to the gorge of the Sutlej River. The alpine shrub and meadows lie between approximately 3000 and 5000 m (9,842.5 and 16,404.2 ft) elevation.
The Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows
lie east of the Kali Gandaki gorge, while the Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows
lies west of the Sutlej. Below 3000 metres (9,842.5 ft) lie the Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests
. Permanent ice and snow lies above 5000 metres (16,404.2 ft). To the north, the Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows transition to the drier Central Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe of central Tibet. The Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe
lies to the southwest.
s, predominate at lower elevations close to the treeline.
Above the shrublands are alpine meadows, known as bugyal
s or bughiyals, which support a variety of herbaceous plants, including species of Anaphalis, Cyananthus
, Jurinea, Morina
, Potentilla
, Gentiana, Delphinium
, Meconopsis
, Pedicularis, Anemone
, Aster, Polygonum
, Primula
, and Saussurea
. In the spring and summer, the alpine meadows are covered with brightly-colored flowers.
On the upper slopes, low plants of genera Saxifraga, Allium
, Corydalis
, Eriophyton, Stellaria
, Soroseris
, and Cremanthodium
grow among the boulders and scree.
An alpine steppe of Caragana pygma, C. gerardiana, Lonicera spinosa, Juniperus squamata
, Juniperus indica
, Ephedra gerardiana, Hippophae tibetana, Myricaria rosea, Lonicera spinulosa, and Berberis
can be found in drier parts of the ecoregion.
(Uncia uncia), Bharal
or Himalayan Blue Sheep (Pseudois nayaur), Himalayan Tahr
(Hemitragus jemlahicus), Himalayan Musk Deer
(Moschus chrysogaster), and Mainland Serow
(Capricornis sumatraensis). Smaller mammals include weasels and pikas.
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
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
of Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, 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...
, and 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...
, which lies between the tree line and snow line
Snow line
The climatic snow line is the point above which snow and ice cover the ground throughout the year. The actual snow line may seasonally be significantly lower....
in the western portion of the Himalaya Range.
Setting
The Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows covers an area of 70200 sqkm, extending from the Kali Gandaki GorgeKali Gandaki Gorge
The Kali Gandaki Gorge or Andha Galchi is the gorge of the Kali Gandaki in the Himalayas in Nepal, by some measures the deepest gorge in the world....
in central Nepal westwards across Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
and eastern Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
states of India to the gorge of the Sutlej River. The alpine shrub and meadows lie between approximately 3000 and 5000 m (9,842.5 and 16,404.2 ft) elevation.
The 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:...
lie east of the Kali Gandaki gorge, while the Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows
Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows
The Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion of the elevations of the northwestern Himalaya of China, India, and Pakistan.-Setting:...
lies west of the Sutlej. Below 3000 metres (9,842.5 ft) lie the Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests
Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests
The Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests is a temperate coniferous forests ecoregion of the middle and upper elevations of the western Middle Himalayas of Nepal, India, and Pakistan.-Setting:...
. Permanent ice and snow lies above 5000 metres (16,404.2 ft). To the north, the Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows transition to the drier Central Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe of central Tibet. The Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe
Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe
The Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion found in parts of Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, and India.-Setting:...
lies to the southwest.
Flora
Alpine shrublands, dominated by rhododendronRhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
s, predominate at lower elevations close to the treeline.
Above the shrublands are alpine meadows, known as bugyal
Bugyal
A Bugyal is a high altitude alpine grass lands, or meadows, in Uttarakhand, India. They are locally referred to as 'nature’s own gardens'. They can be flat or sloped, and are carpeted with green grass and seasonal flowers. These provide an excellent grazing ground and pastures for tribal herdsmen...
s or bughiyals, which support a variety of herbaceous plants, including species of Anaphalis, Cyananthus
Cyananthus
Cyananthus is a genus that consists of about 30 species of annual or mostly perennial herbs from high mountains of Central and East Asia. They are little Himalayan plants not higher than 4in. The name comes from the Greek for blue flowers. Leaves are usually small and simple, sometimes narrowing to...
, Jurinea, Morina
Morina
----Morina is a genus of the angiosperm family Morinaceae. It is the provincial flower of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Morina is named in honor of Louis-Pierre Morin , a french physician and botanist....
, Potentilla
Potentilla
Potentilla is the genus of typical cinquefoils, containing about 500 species of annual, biennial and perennial herbs in the rose family Rosaceae. They are generally Holarctic in distribution, though some may even be found in montane biomes of the New Guinea Highlands...
, Gentiana, Delphinium
Delphinium
Delphinium is a genus of about 300 species of perennial flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native throughout the Northern Hemisphere and also on the high mountains of tropical Africa. The common name, larkspur, is shared with the closely related genus Consolida...
, Meconopsis
Meconopsis
Meconopsis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Papaveraceae. The species have attractive flowers and have two distinct ranges. A single species, Meconopsis cambrica , is indigenous to England, Wales, Ireland, and the fringes of Western Europe. The other 40 or so species are found in the...
, Pedicularis, Anemone
Anemone
Anemone , is a genus of about 120 species of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae in the north and south temperate zones...
, Aster, Polygonum
Polygonum
Polygonum is a genus in the Polygonaceae family. Common names include knotweed, knotgrass, bistort, tear-thumb, mile-a-minute, and several others. In the Middle English glossary of herbs "Alphita" , it was known as ars-smerte. There have been various opinions about how broadly the genus should be...
, Primula
Primula
Primula is a genus of 400–500 species of low-growing herbs in the family Primulaceae. They include primrose, auricula, cowslip and oxlip. Many species are grown for their ornamental flowers...
, and Saussurea
Saussurea
Saussurea is a genus of about 300 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to cool temperate and arctic regions of Asia, Europe, and North America, with the highest diversity in alpine habitats in the Himalaya and central Asia...
. In the spring and summer, the alpine meadows are covered with brightly-colored flowers.
On the upper slopes, low plants of genera Saxifraga, Allium
Allium
Allium is a monocot genus of flowering plants, informally referred to as the onion genus. The generic name Allium is the Latin word for garlic....
, Corydalis
Corydalis
Corydalis is a genus of about 470 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants in the fumewort family , native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere and the high mountains of tropical eastern Africa...
, Eriophyton, Stellaria
Stellaria
Stellaria is a genus of about 90-120 species flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, with a cosmopolitan distribution. Common names include stitchwort and chickweed.-Food use:...
, Soroseris
Soroseris
Soroseris is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family....
, and Cremanthodium
Cremanthodium
Cremanthodium is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae....
grow among the boulders and scree.
An alpine steppe of Caragana pygma, C. gerardiana, Lonicera spinosa, 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...
, 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....
, Ephedra gerardiana, Hippophae tibetana, Myricaria rosea, Lonicera spinulosa, and Berberis
Berberis
Berberis , the barberries or pepperidge bushes, is a genus of about 450-500 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs from 1-5 m tall with thorny shoots, native to the temperate and subtropical regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and South America. They are closely related to the genus...
can be found in drier parts of the ecoregion.
Fauna
Large mammals include the Snow LeopardSnow Leopard
The snow leopard is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of South Asia and Central Asia...
(Uncia uncia), Bharal
Bharal
The bharal or Himalayan blue sheep or naur, Pseudois nayaur, is a caprid found in the high Himalayas of Nepal, Tibet, China, India, Pakistan, and Bhutan...
or Himalayan Blue Sheep (Pseudois nayaur), Himalayan Tahr
Himalayan Tahr
The Himalayan Tahr or Common Thar is a large ungulate related to the wild goat.-Habitat:...
(Hemitragus jemlahicus), Himalayan Musk Deer
Himalayan Musk Deer
The Himalayan Musk Deer is a species of musk deer. It used to be considered a subspecies of the Alpine musk deer.It is found in parts of northern Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and in northern parts of India such as Kashmir, Kumaon and Sikkim. It inhabits high alpine environments,...
(Moschus chrysogaster), and Mainland Serow
Mainland Serow
The Mainland Serow is a species of goat antelope native to China and Southeast Asia. The name "mainland serow" was formerly referring to Capricornis sumatraensis, which used to be the scientific name for all serows in the mainland and Sumatra when they were all considered to be the same species...
(Capricornis sumatraensis). Smaller mammals include weasels and pikas.
Conservation
Several protected areas lie within or partly within the ecoregion, including:- Royal Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve (Nepal)
- Govind Pashu Vihar Wildlife Sanctuary (Uttarakhand, India)
- Lippa Asrang Wildlife Sanctuary (Himachal Pradesh, India)
- Sangla Wildlife Sanctuary (Raksham Chitkul) (Himachal Pradesh, India)
- Gangotri National ParkGangotri National ParkGangotri National Park is a national park located in Uttarkashi District Uttarakhand, India. The size of this national park is about 1,553 square km...
(Uttarakhand, India) - Kedarnath Wild Life SanctuaryKedarnath Wild Life SanctuaryKedarnath Wild Life Sanctuary, in Uttarakhand, India, is a national sanctuary established in an area of . It was established primarily to protect the endangered Himalayan Musk Deer. Hence, it is also called the Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary...
(Uttarakhand, India) - Valley of Flowers National Park (Uttarakhand, India)
- Nanda Devi National ParkNanda Devi National ParkThe Nanda Devi National Park is a national park situated around the peak of Nanda Devi, , in the state of Uttarakhand in northern India. It was established as national park in 1982. Along with the adjoining Valley of Flowers National Park to the northwest, it was inscribed a World Heritage Site by...
(Uttarakhand, India) - Shey-Phoksundo National Park (Nepal)
- Annapurna Conservation AreaAnnapurna Conservation AreaThe Annapurna Conservation Area is Nepal's largest protected area covering in the Annapurna range of the Himalayas.-External links:*...
(Nepal)