Northeastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests

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Northeastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests
Basum Lake 01.jpg
conifer forests at Pagsum Lake
Ecoregion PA0514.png
Location of the ecoregion
Ecology
Realm Palearctic
Biome temperate coniferous forests
Borders
Bird species430 [1]
Mammal species88 [1]
Geography
Area46,300 km2 (17,900 sq mi)
Countries
Conservation
Conservation status Vulnerable [2]
Habitat loss4.26% [1]
Protected16.7% [1]
King Cypress Tree, a large Cupressus gigantea in the ecoregion King Cypress Tree.jpg
King Cypress Tree, a large Cupressus gigantea in the ecoregion

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.

Contents

Setting

Northeastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests cover 46,300 square kilometres (17,900 sq mi) in the southeast Tibetan Plateau, occurring between 2,500 and 4,200 metres (8,200 and 13,800 ft). The forests are mostly in the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, where the Yarlung Tsangpo River wraps around the eastern edge of the Himalayas and descends from the Tibetan Plateau. Tributary valleys of the Yarlung Tsangpo, including those of the Nyang River and Parlung Tsangpo, host connected portions of the Northeast Himalayan subalpine conifer forests. Isolated pockets of this ecoregion also occur in the Zayü River valley and Tawang Valley. Many of these forests are found in so-called "inner valleys", which are valleys that are shielded from the South Asian monsoon by mountain ridges but still receive enough precipitation to support thriving forests.

In higher elevations, this ecoregion grades into Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows and Southeast Tibet shrub and meadows. In lower elevations it grades into Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests.

Flora

The dominant trees are Tsuga dumosa, Picea brachytyla, Picea likiangensis, and Abies spp. Less common are Larix griffithiana, Larix potaninii, Pinus wallichiana , and Taxus baccata . Near timberline are found various junipers: Juniperus indica, Juniperus recurva , and Juniperus squamata . Betula utilis is often found with the conifers. Conifer trees in this ecoregion can grow up to be very tall, sometimes up to 70-80m. Cupressus torulosa (Himalayan cypress) is one of the tallest known species of trees(can grow up to 102.3m), [3] and it can be found in this ecoregion. Other broadleaf plants include Acer spp., Magnolia spp., Sorbus spp., Viburnum spp., Lauraceae, and Araliaceae. Rhododendrons reach their pinnacle in this ecoregion. The number of rhododendron species seems to increase above 2,000 metres (6,600 ft), and the Yarlung Tsangpo River gorge alone may harbor over 60 of them.

The highest forest in the world is found in this ecoregion, with Tibetan juniper reaching heights of 4,900 m (16,100 ft) in Baxoi County, Tibet Autonomous Region. [4]

Fauna

Important mammals in this ecoregion include the red panda, takin, musk deer, red goral, Asiatic black bear, and leopard.

Significant birds include the Tibetan eared-pheasant, white-eared pheasant, and the giant babax.

Conservation

This ecoregion tends to be found on steep, inaccessible terrain and thus has avoided significant human settlement.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yarlung Tsangpo</span> River in Tibet, upper stream of the Brahmaputra

The Yarlung Tsangpo, also called Yarlung Zangbo and Yalu Zangbu River is the upper stream of the Brahmaputra River located in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It is the longest river of Tibet and the fifth longest in China. The upper section is also called Dangque Zangbu meaning "Horse River."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows</span>

The Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion of Nepal, India, and Tibet, which lies between the tree line and snow line in the western portion of the Himalaya Range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows</span> Ecoregion in the Eastern Himalayas

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Himalayan broadleaf forests</span>

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.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows</span> Ecoregion in the Northwestern Himalayas

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kangri Karpo</span> Mountain range in eastern Tibet

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yarlung Tsangpo arid steppe</span> Ecoregion in the Tibetan Plateau

The Yarlung Tsangpo arid steppe ecoregion covers the river valley of the Yarlung Tsangpo River on the southern edge of Tibet. The river runs parallel to the northern borders of Nepal, Bhutan and India, between the Himalayas to the south and the Tibet Plateau to the north. The river valleys are the most populated areas of Tibet, putting pressure on wildlife. The area ranges from cold desert in the west to steppe shrub land in the east; the few trees are in the lowest river valleys to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carpathian montane conifer forests</span> Terrestrial ecoregion in eastern Europe

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 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 . University of California Press. ISBN   978-0-520-26256-0.
  2. "Northeastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  3. "Tallest tree of Asia found in Tibet". China Daily . 27 May 2023.
  4. Miehe, Georg; Miehe, Sabine; Vogel, Jonas; Co, Sonam; La, Duo (2007). "Highest Treeline in the Northern Hemisphere Found in Southern Tibet". Mountain Research and Development. 27 (2): 169–173. doi:10.1659/mrd.0792. hdl: 1956/2482 . Retrieved 30 August 2017.