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{{Infobox ecoregion
| name = Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows
| image = Valley of flowers uttaranchal full view.JPG
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows in [[Valley of Flowers National Park]] in [[Uttarakhand]], [[India]]
| map =
| map_size =
| map_alt =
| map_caption =
| biogeographic_realm = [[Palearctic realm|Palearctic]]
| biome = [[Montane grasslands and shrublands]]
| border = [[Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows]]
| border1 = [[Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe]]
| border2 = [[Central Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe]]
| border3 = [[Yarlung Tsangpo arid steppe]]
| border4 = [[Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows]]
| border5 = [[Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests]]
| border6 = [[Western Himalayan broadleaf forests]]
| country1 = [[China]]
| country2 = [[India]]
| country3 = [[Nepal]]
| area = 70200
| bird_species = 389<ref name = "Atlas">
{{cite book |last1 = Hoekstra |first1 = J. M. |last2 = Molnar |first2 = J. L. |last3 = Jennings |first3 = M. |last4 = Revenga |first4 = C. |last5 = Spalding |first5 = M. D. |last6 = Boucher |first6 = T. M. |last7 = Robertson |first7 = J. C. |last8 = Heibel |first8 = T. J. |last9 = Ellison |first9 = K. |title = The Atlas of Global Conservation: Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities to Make a Difference |publisher = [[University of California Press]] |editor1-last = Molnar |editor1-first = J. L. |year = 2010 |isbn = 978-0-520-26256-0 |url = https://archive.org/details/atlasofglobalcon0000unse |url-access = registration }}</ref>
| mammal_species = 61<ref name = "Atlas"/>
| habitat_loss = 17.291
| habitat_loss_ref = <ref name = "Atlas"/>
| protected = 19.18
| protected_ref = <ref name = "Atlas"/>

}}

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.

==Setting==
The Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows covers an area of {{convert|70,200|sqkm|mi2}}, extending from the [[Kali Gandaki Gorge]] in central Nepal westwards across [[Uttarakhand]] and eastern [[Himachal Pradesh]] states of India to the gorge of the [[Sutlej River]], and into southwestern [[Tibet]]. The alpine shrub and meadows lie between approximately {{convert|3000|and|5000|m|ft}} elevation.

The [[Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows]] lie east of the Kali Gandaki gorge, while the [[Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows]] lies west of the Sutlej. Below {{convert|3000|m|ft}} lie the [[Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests]]. Permanent ice and snow lies above {{convert|5000|m|ft}}. To the north, the Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows transition to the drier [[Central Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe]] of central Tibet. The [[Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe]] lies to the southwest.

==Flora==
Alpine shrublands, dominated by [[rhododendron]]s, predominate at lower elevations close to the treeline.

Above the shrublands are alpine meadows, known as [[bugyal]]s or bughiyals, which support a variety of herbaceous plants, including species of ''[[Anaphalis]], [[Cyananthus]], [[Jurinea]], [[Morina]], [[Potentilla]], [[Gentiana]], [[Delphinium]], [[Meconopsis]], [[Pedicularis]], [[Anemone]], [[Aster (genus)|Aster]], [[Polygonum]], [[Primula]]'', and ''[[Saussurea]]''. In the spring and summer, the alpine meadows are covered with brightly colored flowers.

On the upper slopes, low plants of genera ''[[Saxifraga]], [[Allium]], [[Corydalis]], [[Eriophyton]], [[Stellaria]], [[Soroseris]]'', and ''[[Cremanthodium]]'' grow among the boulders and scree.

An alpine steppe of ''[[Caragana pygma]], C. gerardiana, [[Lonicera spinosa]], [[Juniperus squamata]], [[Juniperus indica]], [[Ephedra gerardiana]], [[Hippophae tibetana]], [[Myricaria rosea]], [[Lonicera spinulosa]]'', and ''[[Berberis]]'' can be found in drier parts of the ecoregion.

==Fauna==
Large mammals include the [[snow leopard]] (''Uncia uncia''), [[bharal]] or Himalayan blue sheep (''Pseudois nayaur''), [[Himalayan tahr]] (''Hemitragus jemlahicus''), [[Himalayan musk deer]] (''Moschus chrysogaster''), and [[mainland serow]] (''Capricornis sumatraensis''). Smaller mammals include weasels and pikas.

==Conservation==
Several protected areas lie within or partly within the ecoregion, including:
*[[Royal Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve]] (Nepal)
*[[Govind Pashu Vihar Wildlife Sanctuary]] (Uttarakhand, India)
*[[Lippa Asrang Wildlife Sanctuary]] (Himachal Pradesh, India)
*[[Sangla Wildlife Sanctuary]] (Raksham Chitkul) (Himachal Pradesh, India)
*[[Gangotri National Park]] (Uttarakhand, India)
*[[Kedarnath Wild Life Sanctuary]] (Uttarakhand, India)
*[[Valley of Flowers National Park]] (Uttarakhand, India)
*[[Nanda Devi National Park]] (Uttarakhand, India)
*[[Shey-Phoksundo National Park]] (Nepal)
*[[Annapurna Conservation Area]] (Nepal)

==See also==
*[[List of ecoregions in India]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{refbegin}}
* {{WWF ecoregion|name=Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows|id=pa1021}}
* {{NatGeo ecoregion|id=pa1021|name=Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows}}
{{refend}}

{{Uttarakhand}}

[[Category:Ecoregions of China]]
[[Category:Ecoregions of India]]
[[Category:Ecoregions of Nepal]]
[[Category:Ecoregions of the Himalayas]]
[[Category:Flora of West Himalaya|*]]
[[Category:Montane grasslands and shrublands]]
[[Category:Palearctic ecoregions]]

Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows - Revision history

imported>BrownHairedGirl: add {{Uttarakhand}}, which links to this page