| Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Ecoregion territory (in purple) | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Indomalayan |
| Biome | temperate coniferous forests |
| Borders | |
| Bird species | 315 [1] |
| Mammal species | 102 [1] |
| Geography | |
| Area | 39,700 km2 (15,300 sq mi) |
| Countries | |
| Conservation | |
| Habitat loss | 62.318% [1] |
| Protected | 6.18% [1] |
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.
The ecoregion forms a belt of coniferous forest covering 39,700 square kilometres (15,300 sq mi) on elevations between 3,000 and 3,500 metres (9,800 and 11,500 ft). It extends west from the Gandaki River in Nepal, through the Indian states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir into northern Pakistan. This belt of conifers is the highest expanse of woodland to be found on the slopes of the Himalayas, treeless alpine scrub lying just above its ecotopic frontier. It is a valuable ecosystem as many Himalayan birds and animals migrate seasonally up and down the mountains spending part of the year in the conifer forests, so conservation is a high priority. [2]
This ecoregion is drier than the Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests, which receive more moisture from the Bay of Bengal monsoon.
Several distinct forest types are found in this ecoregion. Fir trees ( Abies spectabilis ) in places grow in nearly pure stands. In other areas they mix with oaks ( Quercus semecarpifolia ). Rhododendron campanulatum , Abies spectabilis, and birch ( Betula utilis ) form another common assemblage. Elsewhere mixed-conifer forests are made up of Abies spectabilis, blue pine ( Pinus wallichiana ) and spruce ( Picea smithiana ). Cupressus torulosa and Cedrus deodara are also found here.
A recently published major new monograph, Conifers Around the World, treats the high-level western Himalayan fir tree as Abies gamblei (apparently, Abies spectabilis does not reach this region!) [3]
Following are some notable conifers present in the area:
This ecoregion is home to some fifty-eight species of mammals. Important inhabitants include the brown bear and threatened or endangered species such as Himalayan serow, Himalayan tahr, and the markhor goat, the national symbol of Pakistan. The only endemic mammal is a rodent, the murree vole (Hyperacrius wynnei).
About 285 species of birds have been recorded in this ecoregion, including 9 endemic species and a number of birds that are sensitive to habitat disturbance and therefore likely to be vulnerable to further forest clearance. These include the Koklass pheasant (Pucrasia macrolopha), western tragopan (Tragopan melanocephalus), and the Himalayan monal (Lophophorus impejanus).
Despite being relatively thinly populated some seventy percent of the conifer forest has been cleared or degraded, partly to make way for terrace cultivation. However it still contains some of the least disturbed forests in the western Himalayas. Protected areas that contain areas of conifer forest include Great Himalayan National Park and Rupi Bhabha Sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh, Kishtwar National Park in Jammu and Kashmir, Gangotri National Park and Govind Pashu Vihar Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttarakhand, all in India, and Royal Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve in Nepal. A particular threat comes from disturbance of nesting birds during the collection of morel mushrooms in spring.
Extraction of firewood for heating among rural populations in Pakistan has degraded forests at some locations. [6]
Pinus gerardiana, commonly known as the chilghoza pine or neja, is a pine native to the northwestern Himalayas in Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, Waziristan and northwestern India, growing at elevations of 1,800–3,350 metres (5,910–10,990 ft). It often occurs in association with Cedrus deodara, and Pinus wallichiana.
Abies pindrow, the pindrow fir or west Himalayan fir, is a fir native to the western Himalaya and adjacent mountains, from northeast Afghanistan east through northern Pakistan and India to central Nepal.
Peavy Arboretum is an arboretum operated by Oregon State University and located on Arboretum Road, Corvallis, Oregon. It is open to the public daily without charge.
Abietoideae is a subfamily of the conifer family Pinaceae. The name is from the genus Abies (firs), which contains most of the species in the genus. Six genera are currently assigned to this subfamily: Abies, Cedrus, Keteleeria, Nothotsuga, Pseudolarix, and Tsuga.
Narkanda is a town and a nagar panchayat in Kumarsain subdivision of Shimla district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is at an elevation of 2708 meters on the Hindustan-Tibet Road in Himachal Pradesh, India within a fir forest. It is about 60 km away from Shimla and surrounded by the Himalayan Range.
The Museo e Arboreto Carlo Siemoni is a museum and historic arboretum located in Badia Prataglia, Poppi, Province of Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy.
Pakistan's native flora reflects its varied climatic zones, which range from arid and semi-arid to temperate and tropical.
Kazinag National Park is a national park in Baramulla city of the Baramulla district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir notified under wild life protection Act 1972. It is 4th national park in UT of J&k besides city forest NP, Dachigam NP and Kishtwar NP. It is part of a proposal for a trans-Karakoram peace park with Pakistan. Kazinag national park located in North region of kashmir.The area of kazinag national park is 160 sq.kms.It was commissioned in 1992 A.D.The National park is located on the north bank of river jehlum.
The Western Himalayan broadleaf forests is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forest ecoregion which is found in the middle elevations of the western Himalayas, including parts of Nepal, India, and Pakistan.
The Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests is a temperate coniferous forests ecoregion which is found in the middle and upper elevations of the eastern Middle Himalayas, in western Nepal, Bhutan, northern Indian states including Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim and adjacent Myanmar and China.
The Northeastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests are a temperate coniferous forests ecoregion of the middle to upper elevations of the eastern Himalayas and southeast Tibetan Plateau. The ecoregion occurs in southeastern Tibet Autonomous Region, China, in northern and eastern Arunachal Pradesh, India, and extreme eastern Bhutan.
The forestry sector of Pakistan is a main source of lumber, paper, fuelwood, latex, medicine as well as food and provide ecotourism and wildlife conservation purposes. 4.91% of Pakistan's land is covered in forest.The Shangla district is the only district of Pakistan that composed of more than 80% of forest land
The Himalayan bluetail, also called the Himalayan red-flanked bush-robin or orange-flanked bush-robin, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher of Muscicapidae. While currently under review, this taxon is not current recognized as a species by BirdLife international.
Himalayan Silver Fir forests is a plant community and conifer forest habitat type in the Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests ecoregion of the Temperate coniferous forests Biome.
Deodar forests are forests dominated by Cedrus deodara, the deodar cedar. This tree is found naturally in the Western Himalayas from the Gandaki River in central Nepal to the Hindu Kush mountain range in Afghanistan.
Hatu Peak is located in the Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh in India. It is one of the highest peaks in the region, standing at an elevation of 3400 meters (11,152ft) above sea level. The peak is surrounded by a dense forest of conifers, oaks and maples.
The East Afghan montane conifer forests ecoregion covers a series of unconnected conifer forests along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, at elevations of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) to 3,400 metres (11,200 ft) above sea level. The ecoregion supports the near-threatened Markhor (Capra falconeri chiltanensis), known as the Screw-horned goat, the national animal of Pakistan. The forests of the ecoregion have been heavily thinned for timber.
The Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary spread over 180 square kilometres (69 sq mi) is a protected area in Gulmarg, Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The sanctuary lies on the north-eastern side of the Pir Panjal mountain range and falls under the northwest Biogeographic Zone 2A. It lies 50 kilometres (31 mi) south-west of Srinagar and 26 kilometres (16 mi) from Baramulla. The sanctuary was first declared as a game reserve in 1981 and later upgraded to a sanctuary in 1987.
The Gurez National Park, also known as Musk Deer National Park, is one of the protected areas of Pakistan. It is located in Neelum District in Azad kashmir, Pakistan, besides the Neelum River in the Gurez valley. It is located in the high Himalayas and Pir Panjal Range. It is a thirty-five minute drive from Gurez tehsil. It is also known as Gurez valley national park.
Arceuthobium minutissimum, known as the Indian dwarf mistletoe or Himalayan dwarf mistletoe, is a leafless parasitic plant of Pinus wallichiana. It is considered the smallest known dicotyledonous plant.