Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests - Revision history

Nhungexim: minor expanded lead for clarity and updated info per standard format

2026-03-19T11:19:52Z

minor expanded lead for clarity and updated info per standard format

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:49, 19 March 2026
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			{{Short description\|none}}
	{{Infobox ecoregion		{{Infobox ecoregion
	\| name = Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests		\| name = Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests
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	==Flora==		==Flora==
	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.		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. Some parts like the [[Deva Vatala National Park]] have shrubbier forests consisting of [[mangifera indica]], [[Senegalia senegal]] and others.
	A recently published major new monograph, Conifers Around the World, treats the high-level western Himalayan fir tree as Abies gamblei (apparently, A. spectabilis does not reach this region!)<ref>[http://conifersaroundtheworld.com/blog/abies_gamblei_gamble_fir Abies gamblei - Gamble Fir \| Conifers Around the World<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
			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!)<ref>[http://conifersaroundtheworld.com/blog/abies_gamblei_gamble_fir Abies gamblei - Gamble Fir \| Conifers Around the World<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

	Following are some notable conifers present in the area:		Following are some notable conifers present in the area:

	[[Fir]]: [[Abies pindrow]], [[Abies spectabilis]] and [[Abies gamblei]].<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2609866\|title=Abies gamblei Hickel — The Plant List\|website=www.theplantlist.org\|language=en\|access-date=2017-12-28}}</ref>		*[[Fir]]: ''[[Abies pindrow]]'', ''[[Abies spectabilis]]'', and ''[[Abies gamblei]]''<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2609866\|title=Abies gamblei Hickel — The Plant List\|website=www.theplantlist.org\|language=en\|access-date=2017-12-28}}</ref>
			*[[Pine]]: ''[[Pinus roxburghii]]'', ''[[Pinus wallichiana]]'', and ''[[Pinus gerardiana]]''
	[[Pine]]: [[Pinus roxburghii]], [[Pinus wallichiana]] and [[Pinus gerardiana]].		*[[Spruce]]: ''[[Picea smithiana]]''
			*[[Cypress]]: ''[[Cupressus torulosa]]''
	[[Spruce]]: [[Picea smithiana]].		*[[Juniper]]: ''[[Juniperus communis]]'', ''[[Juniperus indica]]'', ''[[Juniperus squamata]]'', ''[[Juniperus recurva]]'', ''[[Juniperus excelsa]]'' subsp. ''polycarpos'',<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/16336635/0\|title=Juniperus excelsa subsp. polycarpos (Turkestan Juniper)\|website=www.iucnredlist.org\|access-date=2017-12-28}}</ref> etc
			*''[[Cedrus]]'': ''[[Cedrus deodara]]''
	[[Cypress]]: [[Cupressus torulosa]].		*''[[Taxus]]'': ''[[Taxus contorta]]'' and ''[[Taxus wallichiana]]''
			*[[File:Lightning struck tree - From the beautiful hiking trails of Ayubia National Park.jpg\|thumb\|310x310px\|[[Deodar forests]] in [[Ayubia National Park]].]][[Ephedra (plant)\|Ephedra]]: ''[[Ephedra gerardiana]]'', ''[[Ephedra intermedia]]''
	[[Juniper]]: [[Juniperus communis]], [[Juniperus indica]], [[Juniperus squamata]], [[Juniperus recurva]], [[Juniperus excelsa subsp. polycarpos]],<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/16336635/0\|title=Juniperus excelsa subsp. polycarpos (Turkestan Juniper)\|website=www.iucnredlist.org\|access-date=2017-12-28}}</ref> etc.

	[[Cedrus]]: [[Cedrus deodara]].

	[[Taxus]]: [[Taxus contorta]] and [[Taxus wallichiana]].

	[[Ephedra (plant)\|Ephedra]]: [[Ephedra gerardiana]], [[Ephedra intermedia]].

	==Fauna==		==Fauna==
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	==References==		==References==
	{{reflist}}		{{reflist}}

			==External links==
			*{{commons-inline}}

	{{Uttarakhand}}		{{Uttarakhand}}
			{{portal bar \|Ecology \|Trees \|India \|Nepal \|Pakistan}}

	[[Category:Ecoregions of the Himalayas]]		[[Category:Ecoregions of the Himalayas]]

imported>Unpetitprole at 17:49, 19 July 2021

2021-07-19T17:49:33Z

New page

{{Infobox ecoregion
| name = Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests
| image = Cedrus deodara India12.jpg
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = [[Cedrus deodara]] at [[Chail, Himachal Pradesh]], [[India]]
| country = [[India]]
| country1 = [[Nepal]]
| country2 = [[Pakistan]]
| country3 = [[Afghanistan]]
| border = [[Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows]]
| border1 = [[Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows]]
| border2 = [[Western Himalayan broadleaf forests]]
| border3 = [[Himalayan subtropical pine forests]]
| border4 = [[Baluchistan xeric woodlands]]
| bird_species = 315<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 = 102<ref name = "Atlas"/>
| habitat_loss = 62.318
| habitat_loss_ref = <ref name = "Atlas"/>
| protected = 6.18
| protected_ref = <ref name = "Atlas"/>
| area = 39700
| biome = [[temperate coniferous forests]]
| biogeographic_realm = [[Indomalayan realm|Indomalayan]]
| map = Ecoregion IM0502.svg
| map_size =
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Ecoregion territory (in purple)
}}

The '''Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests''' is a [[temperate coniferous forests]] [[terrestrial ecoregion|ecoregion]] of the middle and upper elevations of the western Middle [[Himalayas]] of [[Nepal]], [[India]], and [[Pakistan]].

==Setting==
The ecoregion forms a belt of coniferous forest covering {{convert|39700|sqkm|mi2}} on elevations between {{convert|3000|and|3500|m|ft}}. It extends west from the [[Gandaki River]] in Nepal, through the Indian states of [[Uttarakhand]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], and [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|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.<ref>{{WWF ecoregion|name=Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests|id=im0502}}</ref>

This ecoregion is drier than the [[Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests]], which receive more moisture from the [[Bay of Bengal]] monsoon.

==Flora==
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, A. spectabilis does not reach this region!)<ref>[http://conifersaroundtheworld.com/blog/abies_gamblei_gamble_fir Abies gamblei - Gamble Fir | Conifers Around the World]</ref>

Following are some notable conifers present in the area:

[[Fir]]: [[Abies pindrow]], [[Abies spectabilis]] and [[Abies gamblei]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2609866|title=Abies gamblei Hickel — The Plant List|website=www.theplantlist.org|language=en|access-date=2017-12-28}}</ref>

[[Pine]]: [[Pinus roxburghii]], [[Pinus wallichiana]] and [[Pinus gerardiana]].

[[Spruce]]: [[Picea smithiana]].

[[Cypress]]: [[Cupressus torulosa]].

[[Juniper]]: [[Juniperus communis]], [[Juniperus indica]], [[Juniperus squamata]], [[Juniperus recurva]], [[Juniperus excelsa subsp. polycarpos]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/16336635/0|title=Juniperus excelsa subsp. polycarpos (Turkestan Juniper)|website=www.iucnredlist.org|access-date=2017-12-28}}</ref> etc.

[[Cedrus]]: [[Cedrus deodara]].

[[Taxus]]: [[Taxus contorta]] and [[Taxus wallichiana]].

[[Ephedra (plant)|Ephedra]]: [[Ephedra gerardiana]], [[Ephedra intermedia]].

==Fauna==
This ecoregion is home to some fifty-eight species of mammals. Important inhabitants include the [[Ursus arctos|brown bear]] and threatened or endangered species such as [[Himalayan serow]], [[Hemitragus jemlahicus|Himalayan tahr]], and the [[Capra falconeri|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 [[Endemism|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'').

==Threats and conservation==
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 mushroom]]s in spring.

Extraction of firewood for heating among rural populations in Pakistan has degraded forests at some locations.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shaheen |first1=Hamayun |date=2016 |title=Fuelwood consumption pattern and its impact on forest structure in Kashmir Himalayas |url=https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0717-92002016000200020&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=en |journal=[[Bosque (journal)|Bosque]] |volume=37 |issue=2 |doi=10.4067/S0717-92002016000200020 |access-date=January 12, 2018|doi-access=free }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Himalayan silver fir forests]] — ''plant community within the ecoregion''.
*{{C|Flora of West Himalaya}}
*{{C|Ecoregions of the Himalayas}}
*[[List of ecoregions in India]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Uttarakhand}}

[[Category:Ecoregions of the Himalayas]]
[[Category:Ecoregions of India]]
[[Category:Ecoregions of Nepal]]
[[Category:Ecoregions of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Flora of Nepal|*]]
[[Category:Flora of West Himalaya|*]]
[[Category:Forests of India]]
[[Category:Forests of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Himalayan forests]]
[[Category:Indomalayan ecoregions]]
[[Category:Temperate coniferous forests]]
[[Category:Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests| ]]
[[Category:Forests of Nepal]]