| Western Himalayan broadleaf forests | |
|---|---|
 Lolab Valley-Kupwara | |
 Ecoregion territory (in purple) | |
| Ecology | |
| Biome | Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests |
| Borders | |
| 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] |
TheWestern Himalayan broadleaf forests is atemperate broadleaf and mixed forestecoregion which is found in the middle elevations of the westernHimalayas, including parts ofNepal,India, andPakistan.[2]
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 theGandaki River gorge in Nepal, throughUttarakhand,Himachal Pradesh andJammu and Kashmir in northern India into parts of northern Pakistan. This ecoregion is drier and the forest is more fragmented than itsEastern Himalayan broadleaf forests counterpart, which receive more moisture from theBay 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 intoHimalayan subtropical pine forests. At higher elevations, it grades intoWestern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests as well asNorthwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows andWestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows.[4]
The Western Himalayan broadleaf forests may be divided into forests of two types: evergreen and deciduous broadleaved forests.
In both types of forests, the dominated trees arePinus roxburghii,Pinus hwangshanensis,Juniperus tibetica,Shorea robusta,Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata, andTaxus sumatrana
The evergreen broadleaf forest is dominated byoaks, consisting ofQuercus semecarpifolia,Quercus leucotrichophora,Quercus floribunda,Quercus lanata,Quercus glauca andQuercus baloot. This forest is typically found on moister southern slopes, which are more influenced by themonsoon. VariousLauraceae call this forest home, includingMachilus odoratissimus,Litsea umbrosa,Litsea lanuginosa, andPhoebe pulcherrima. The understory features a rich assemblage of ferns, mosses, andepiphytes. On northern slopes, drier areas, and higher elevations, conifers likeAbies,Picea,Cedrus, andPinus thrives. The wild olive,olea cuspidata is found here too.[3]
The deciduous forest is found along rivers west of theGandaki River. It includesAesculus indica,Juglans regia,Carpinus viminea,Alnus nepalensis, and severalAcer species likeAcer caesium,Acer acuminatum,Acer cappadocicum,Acer lobelia subsp. pictum,Acer oblongum, etc are found. In drier areas such as the valley of the upperGhaghara River it includesPopulus ciliata,Ulmus wallichiana, andCorylus colurna as well and the riverbanks are dominated by Himalayan alder (Alnus nitida).Platanus orientalis is also found in these areas.[5]
Although there is less wildlife here than in the wetter Eastern Himalayas, this ecoregion is home to seventy-six species of mammals. These include theAsiatic black bear,leopard, theHimalayan tahr, and the threatenedHimalayan serow (Capricornis thar). There is one endemic mammal, theKashmir cave bat (Myotis longipes) while the threatenedPeter's tube-nosed bat (Murina grisea) is near-endemic.
About 315 species of birds have been recorded in this ecoregion from tiny warblers to large pheasants such as thewestern tragopan (Tragopan melanocephalus),satyr tragopan (Tragopan satyra),koklass pheasant (Pucrasia macrolopha),Himalayan monal (Lophophorus impejanus) andcheer pheasant (Catreus wallichi). Near-endemic birds of the forests include thewhite-cheeked tit,white-throated tit,spectacled finch,Kashmir flycatcher,Tytler's leaf-warbler,orange bullfinch, andKashmir nuthatch, while theHimalayan quail which used to be found here is now thought to be extinct.[3]
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 forlogging or for agricultural land, a process which is ongoing. Only a third remains unspoilt, with the largest patches remaining in the west of the ecoregion and any forest clearance on these steep mountainsides quickly results in soil erosion and oversilting of the rivers below. Protected areas in this ecoregion includeAskot Musk Deer Sanctuary, and parts of theGovind Pashu Vihar Wildlife Sanctuary,Rupi Bhabha Sanctuary and the largeKishtwar National Park.[3]
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