| Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Map of Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows (purple) | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Palearctic |
| Biome | Montane grasslands and shrublands |
| Borders | |
| Bird species | 389[1] |
| Mammal species | 61[1] |
| Geography | |
| Area | 70,200 km2 (27,100 sq mi) |
| Countries | |
| Conservation | |
| Habitat loss | 17.291%[1] |
| Protected | 19.18%[1] |
TheWestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows is amontane grasslands and shrublandsecoregion ofNepal,India, andTibet, which lies between thetree line andsnow line in the western portion of theHimalaya Range.
The Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows covers an area of 70,200 square kilometres (27,100 sq mi), extending from theKali Gandaki Gorge in central Nepal westwards acrossUttarakhand and easternHimachal Pradesh states of India to the gorge of theSutlej River, and into southwesternTibet. The alpine shrub and meadows lie between approximately 3,000 and 5,000 metres (9,800 and 16,400 ft) elevation.
TheEastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows lie east of the Kali Gandaki gorge, while theNorthwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows lies west of the Sutlej. Below 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) lie theWestern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests. Permanent ice and snow lies above 5,000 metres (16,000 ft). To the north, the Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows transition to the drierCentral Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe of central Tibet. TheKarakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe lies to the southwest.
Alpine shrublands, dominated by therhododendron speciesRhododendron campanulatum andR. barbatum, predominate at lower elevations close to the treeline. The shrubs form akrummholz or stunted forest of low, dense, twisted woody plants.[2]
Above the shrublands are alpine meadows, known asbugyals or bughiyals, which support a variety of herbaceous plants, including species ofAnaphalis,Cyananthus,Jurinea,Morina,Potentilla,Gentiana,Delphinium,Meconopsis,Pedicularis,Anemone,Aster,Polygonum,Primula, andSaussurea. In the spring and summer, the alpine meadows are covered with brightly colored flowers.
On the upper slopes, low plants of generaSaxifraga,Allium,Corydalis,Eriophyton,Stellaria,Soroseris, andCremanthodium grow among the boulders and scree.
An alpine steppe ofCaragana pygma, C. gerardiana,Lonicera spinosa,Juniperus squamata,Juniperus indica,Ephedra gerardiana,Hippophae tibetana,Myricaria rosea,Lonicera spinulosa, andBerberis can be found in drier parts of the ecoregion.
Large mammals include thesnow leopard (Uncia uncia),bharal or Himalayan blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur),Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus),Himalayan musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster), andmainland serow (Capricornis sumatraensis). Smaller mammals include weasels and pikas.
Native birds of the alpine shrubland or krummholz zone include theblood pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus),satyr tragopan (Tragopan satyra),Himalayan monal (Lophophorus impejanus), andhill partridge (Arborophila torqueola).[2]
Several protected areas lie within or partly within the ecoregion, including:
Media related toWestern Himalayan Alpine Shrub and Meadows Ecoregion at Wikimedia Commons