Himalayan subtropical pine forests

Himalayan subtropical pine forests
Pinus roxburghii forest, Uttarakhand, India
Ecoregion territory (in purple)
Ecology
Realm	Indomalayan
Biome	Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests
Borders	List Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests Western Himalayan broadleaf forests Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests Northwestern thorn scrub forests Baluchistan xeric woodlands
Bird species	469
Mammal species	162
Geography
Area	76,200 km (29,400 sq mi)
Countries	India Bhutan Nepal Pakistan
Conservation
Habitat loss	86.65%
Protected	4.09%

The Himalayan subtropical pine forests are a large subtropical coniferous forest ecoregion covering portions of Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.

Geography

This huge pine forest stretches for 3000 km across the lower elevations of the great Himalaya range for almost its entire length including parts of Pakistan's Punjab Province in the west through Azad Kashmir, the northern Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim, Nepal and Bhutan, which is the eastern extent of the pine forest. Like so many Himalayan ecosystems the pine forests are split by the deep Kali Gandaki Gorge in Nepal, to the west of which the forest is slightly drier while it is wetter and thicker to the east where the monsoon rains coming off the Bay of Bengal bring more moisture.

Flora

The predominant flora of the ecoregion is a thin woodland of drought-resistant Pinus roxburghii, Pinus hwangshanensis, Juniperus tibetica, Shorea robusta, Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata, Taxus sumatrana, Tsuga dumosa, Cinnamomum cassia, Durio zibethinus, Garcinia mangostana, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Ficus benghalensis, Gnetum gnemon, Mangifera indica, Toona sinensis, Cocos nucifera, Tetrameles nudiflora, Ginkgo biloba, Prunus serrulata, Camphora officinarum, Ulmus lanceifolia, Tectona grandis, trees with a ground cover of thick grass, as regular fires do not allow a shrubby undergrowth to establish itself. The ground cover consists of Arundinella setosa, cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica) and Themeda anathera.

Pine forest mainly grows on south-facing slopes although in western Nepal there are areas facing in other directions. Some of the larger areas can be found in the lower elevations of Kangra and Una Districts of Himachal Pradesh and in Bhutan. It occurs in smaller patches in eastern Himachal Pradesh and lower Uttarakhand, in the more thinly populated western Nepal, and on the lower elevations (between 1,000 and 2,000m) of the Sivalik and Himachal ranges.

Fauna

Although there is not a rich variety of wildlife here when compared to tropical rainforest for example the region is important habitat, especially for birds. Wildlife includes tigers and leopards although in smaller numbers than in the lowland areas where herds of grazing antelopes provide food for them, whereas these slopes do not sustain grazing in large numbers. More typical animals of the pine forest are langurs and other animals of the Himalayas. Birds include the chestnut-breasted partridge and cheer pheasants that hide in the lush grass.

Conservation

These habitats are vulnerable to logging for firewood or conversion to grazing or farmland and more than half the area has been cleared or degraded which then allows the mountain water to wash away the soil quickly. The most profound changes can be seen in central and eastern Nepal, where the forest has been cleared for terrace farming. The protected areas of pine forest are small but include part of the larger Jim Corbett National Park.

References

^ 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.
"Himalayan subtropical pine forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.

External links

"Himalayan subtropical pine forests Ecoregion". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.

Ecoregions of India

Tropical and
subtropical
Forests

Moist broadleaf	Andaman Islands rain forests Brahmaputra Valley semi-evergreen forests Eastern highlands moist deciduous forests Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests Lower Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests Malabar Coast moist forests Maldives–Lakshadweep–Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests Meghalaya subtropical forests Mizoram–Manipur–Kachin rain forests Nicobar Islands rain forests North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests North Western Ghats montane rain forests Odisha semi-evergreen forests South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests South Western Ghats montane rain forests Sundarbans freshwater swamp forests Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests
Dry broadleaf	Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests Chota Nagpur dry deciduous forests East Deccan dry evergreen forests Khathiar–Gir dry deciduous forests Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests Northern dry deciduous forests South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests
Coniferous	Himalayan subtropical pine forests Northeast India–Myanmar pine forests

Temperate
Forests

Himalayan Broadleaf	Eastern Western
Himalayan Subalpine conifer	Eastern Western

Grasslands,
Shrublands,
and
Savannas

Tropical and subtropical

Terai–Duar savanna and grasslands

Montane

Tibetan Plateau Alpine Steppe	Central Karakoram-West
Himalayan Alpine shrub and Meadows	Eastern Northwestern Western

Flooded

Rann of Kutch seasonal salt marsh

State capitals: legislative: Dehradun (winter); Bhararisain (summer); judicial: Nainital

Government

Symbols	Day Emblem Song Motto
Executive	Governor Chief Minister Council of Ministers Cabinets Chief Secretary Gazette Agencies Departments Disaster Response Force Fire and Emergency Services Provincial Armed Constabulary Forest Department Police Department Public Service Commission Provincial Civil Service Provincial Police Service Provincial Forest Service
Legislature	Legislative Assembly History Speaker Leader of the Opposition
Judiciary	High Court Chief Justice Judges Bar Council Lok Adalat Lokayukta

History

Ancient
kingdoms

Medieval
kingdoms

Colonial
Uttarakhand

Company rule	Ceded and Conquered Provinces North-Western Provinces Agra Presidency
Crown rule	United Provinces of Agra and Oudh United Provinces of Agra and Oudh United Provinces

Contemporary
Uttarakhand

Geography
and
ecology

Geological
features

Mountains	Great Himalayas Garhwal Himalayas Sivalik Hills Mountain peaks Bugyals Lakes
Plains	Bhabar Terai Doab Ganges Basin

Ecoregions

Highlands	Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests Himalayan subtropical pine forests
Lowlands	Western Himalayan broadleaf forests Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests Terai–Duar savanna and grasslands Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests

Demographics

Ethnic
groups

Indo-Aryans	Garhwalis Kumaonis Jaunsaris Buksas Tharus
Tibeto-Burmans	Bhotiyas Shaukas Rajis Jads Banrawats
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes	Scheduled Castes Scheduled Tribes

Languages

Official

Spoken

Indo-Aryan	Garhwali Kumaoni Jaunsari Bangani Buksa Tharu
Tibeto-Burman	Rongpo Byangsi Chaudangsi Darmiya Raji Rawat Jad

Administrative
divisions

Urban	Districts Tehsils Urban Local Bodies Municipal Corporations
Rural	Parganas Community Development Blocks

Politics

Tourism

Monuments	World Heritage Site Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks Ramsar Wetland Asan Barrage Monuments of National Importance State Protected Monuments Temples Tourist attractions in Dehradun
Chardham circuit	Gangotri Yamunotri Yamunotri Temple Badrinath Badrinath Temple Kedarnath Kedarnath Temple Sapta Badri Panch Kedar Panch Prayag Gomukh
National parks	Gangotri Govind Pashu Vihar Jim Corbett Nanda Devi Rajaji Valley of Flowers

Sports

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