Western Himalayan broadleaf forests
| Western Himalayan broadleaf forests | |
|---|---|
Northwestern thorn scrub forests | |
| Bird species | 126[1] |
| Mammal species | 115[1] |
| Geography | |
| Area | 55,900 km2 (21,600 sq mi) |
| Countries | |
| Conservation | |
| Habitat loss | 78.237%[1] |
| Protected | 6.62%[1] |
The Western Himalayan broadleaf forests is a
Setting
The ecoregion forms an area of temperate broadleaf forest covering 55,900 square kilometres (21,600 sq mi) in a narrow band between 1,500 to 2,600 metres (4,900 to 8,500 ft) elevation, extending from the Gandaki River gorge in Nepal, through Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir in northern India into parts of northern Pakistan. This ecoregion is drier and the forest is more fragmented than its Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests counterpart, which receive more moisture from the Bay of Bengal monsoon but is still valuable habitat especially as part of the pattern of habitats found at different elevations on the Himalayan mountainsides. Many species of birds and animals migrate up and down the mountains seasonally from the grasslands of the plains below to the high peaks.[3]
At lower elevations, this ecoregion grades into Himalayan subtropical pine forests. At higher elevations, it grades into Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests as well as Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows and Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows.[4]
Flora
The Western Himalayan broadleaf forests may be divided into forests of two types: evergreen and deciduous broadleaved forests.
The evergreen broadleaf forest is dominated by
The deciduous forest is found along rivers west of the
Fauna
Although there is less wildlife here than in the wetter Eastern Himalayas, this ecoregion is home to seventy-six species of mammals. These include the
About 315 species of birds have been recorded in this ecoregion from tiny warblers to large pheasants such as the
Threats and conservation
The Himalayas receive large numbers of visitors every year including religious pilgrims and trekkers. Although there a large number of protected areas each of them are quite small and most of original forest has been cleared for
See also
References
- ^ 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. ISBN 978-0-520-26256-0.
- ^ "Western Hamalayan broadleaf forests". Digital Observatory for Protected Areas. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Western Hamalayan broadleaf forests". Encyclopedia of the Earth. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
- ^ "Western Himalayan broadleaf forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.