Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests

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Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests
Sal forest in Chitwan National Park
Ecoregion territory (in purple)
Ecology
RealmIndomalayan
Biometropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Borders
List
  • Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands
Bird species343[1]
Mammal species148[1]
Geography
Area38,200 km2 (14,700 sq mi)
Countries
Conservation
Habitat loss81.553%[1]
Protected6.77%[1]

The Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests is an

Outer Himalayan Range, and includes several forest types traversing an east to west moisture gradient.[2]

Geography

The ecoregion covers an area of 38,200 km2 (14,700 sq mi) and is bisected by the

Himalayan Range. It forms a critical link in the chain of interconnected Himalayan ecosystems, where altitudinal connectivity between the habitat types is important for ecosystem function. The soil is composed of alluvium deposited over the ages by the rivers that drain this young mountain range.[2]

At lower elevations, the ecoregion is flanked by the

Terai-Duar savannas and grasslands. Above 1,000 m (3,300 ft), it yields to the Himalayan subtropical pine forests
.

Climate

Rainfall varies from east to west, but annual rainfall can be as much as 2,000 mm (79 in). The Himalayas capture moisture from the monsoons that sweep in from the Bay of Bengal, and most of this rainfall is expended in the eastern Himalayas. Therefore, the western Himalayas are drier, a trend reflected in the timberline that declines from 4,000 m (13,000 ft) in the east to about 3,500 m (11,500 ft) in the west.[2]

Flora

The ecoregion hosts a broad range of plant communities, based on its complex topography, differing soils, and variations in rainfall from the drier west to the more humid east. Its location on the south slope of the Himalaya allows the intermingling of plants and animals from the

sal
(Shorea robusta) forests, moist mixed deciduous forests, subtropical broadleaf wet hill forests, northern tropical semi-evergreen forests, and northern tropical wet evergreen forests.

Fauna

Several mammals native to the ecoregion are

white-winged wood duck and five hornbill species are found here.[2]

Protected areas

Eight protected areas extend into this ecoregion covering 2,710 km2 (1,050 sq mi), which is about 7% of the ecoregion's area:[2]

Two high-priority tiger conservation units (TCU) extend across adjacent ecoregions:[3]

  • Chitwan-Parsa-Valmiki TCU covers a 3,549 km2 (1,370 sq mi) huge block of alluvial grasslands and subtropical moist deciduous forests;
  • Bardia-Banke TCU covers 1,518 km2 (586 sq mi).

References

  1. ^ a b c d Hoekstra, J. M.; Molnar, J. L.; Jennings, M.; Revenga, C.; Spalding, M. D.; Boucher, T. M.; Robertson, J. C.; Heibel, T. J.; Ellison, K. (2010). Molnar, J. L. (ed.). The Atlas of Global Conservation: Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities to Make a Difference. .
  2. ^ a b c d e Rawat, G. S., Wikramanayake, E. D. (2002) Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests In: Wikramanayake, E. D. (ed.) Terrestrial ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a conservation assessment. Island Press

External links