Himalayan Ecoregions

The Himalayas consist of a mosaic of diverse forest ecosystems and ecoregions, with different forest types suited for distinct elevation bands. The Himalayan subtropical pine forests extend nearly 3,000 km across the length of the Himalayas, traversing Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) is the dominant pine in the ecoregion. While the Kali Gandaki river valley divides the region into a drier western forest and a wetter eastern forest, the two sections have similar ecosystem dynamics and species assemblages and thus are considered one ecoregion. Monsoon rains from the Bay of Bengal deliver rains to the eastern Himalayas, causing this region to be wetter than its western counterpart. Fires are common features of these chir pine forests, thus the understory is relatively sparse save for a few species of grass. These include Arundinella setosa, Imperata cylindrica, and shrubs from the genera Rubus and Berberis.
The Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests cover an area of 14,700 square miles (38,000 square kilometers) and encompass many different forest types. These forest types comprise dry systems of scrub, subtropical dry evergreen forests, northern dry mixed deciduous forests, and dry dipterocarp forests, as well as wetter systems of moist mixed deciduous forests, subtropical broadleaf wet hill forests, northern tropical semi-evergreen forests, and northern tropical wet evergreen forests. These broadleaf forests extend east to west between elevations of 500 and 1,000 meters.
The Western Himalayan broadleaf forests and Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests make up the temperate forests of the western Himalayas. These forests span from 600 to 3,800 meters, mainly on the western slopes. Common plant species include spruce (Picea smithiana), yew (Taxus wallichiana), fir (Abies pindrow), blue pine (Pinus wallichiana), rhododendron (Rhododendron campanulatum), and birch (Betula utilis). Endangered and endemic shrub species Lactuca undulate and Berberis lambertii also call these forests home. Just a few of the characteristic animals of these forests include the western tragopan (a species of pheasant), the snow leopard, the Bengal tiger, and the Himalayan tahr. All of these species are listed as endangered, with the exception of the Himalayan tahr, which is classified as near threatened.
Temperate forests in the eastern Himalayas include the Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests, Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests, Northern Triangle temperate forests, and Northeastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests. Occupying elevations from 3,000 to 13,000 ft (900 to 3,900 m), these forests harbor remarkable diversity, especially within the broadleaf forests. Numerous biodiversity hotspots exist within these broadleaf forests, offering a haven for endemic plants and animals. A number of these endemic plants are endangered, including orchid species Cymbidium whiteae, Paphiopedilum fairrieanum, and P. wardii, and maple species Acer oblongumand and Acer hookeri. The broadleaf forests are home to over 500 bird species, while the subalpine conifer forests are home to over 200. Many charismatic mammals can also be found in this ecoregion; golden langur, lesser or red panda, Himalayan black bear, and clouded leopard are all native to this habitat. Unfortunately, these species are all endangered.
Please visit our Other Ecoregions of the Himalayas page for a more in depth look at the alpine meadows and surrounding tropical forests of the greater Himalayan region.

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Sources:
Wikramanayake, E. D., Dinerstein, E., & Loucks, C. J. (2002). Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: A Conservation Assessment. Island Press.
WWF. (2016a). Eastern Himalayan Broadleaf & Conifer forests. Retrieved April 7, 2016, from http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ (link is external)ecoregions/easthimalayan_broadleaf_conifer_forests.cfm
WWF. (2016b). Western Himalayan Temperate Forests. Retrieved from http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ (link is external)ecoregions/westhimalayan_temperate_forests.cfm
WWF. (2016c). Wild Finder. Retrieved from http://www.worldwildlife.org/science/ (link is external)wildfinder/