Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests
| Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests | |
|---|---|
Sal forest in Chitwan National Park
|
|
| Ecology | |
| Biome | Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests |
| Borders | |
| Bird species | 343 |
| Mammal species | 148 |
| Geography | |
| Area | 38,200 km2 (14,700 sq mi) |
| Countries | Bhutan, India and Nepal |
| Conservation | |
| Habitat loss | 81.553% |
| Protected | 6.77% |
The Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests is an ecoregion that extends from the middle hills of central Nepal through Darjeeling into Bhutan and also into the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh. It represents the east-west-directed band of subtropical broadleaf forest at an altitude of between 500 to 1,000 m (1,600 to 3,300 ft) along the Outer Himalayan Range, and includes several forest types traversing an east to west moisture gradient.
The ecoregion covers an area of 38,200 km2 (14,700 sq mi) and is bisected by the Kali Gandaki River, which has gouged the world's deepest river valley through the Himalayan Range. It forms a critical link in the chain of interconnected Himalayan ecosystems, where altitudinal connectivity between the habitat types is important for ecosystem function. The soil is composed of alluvium deposited over the ages by the rivers that drain this young mountain range.
At lower elevations, the ecoregion is flanked by the Terai-Duar savannas and grasslands. Above 1,000 m (3,300 ft), it yields to the Himalayan subtropical pine forests.
Rainfall varies from east to west, but annual rainfall can be as much as 2,000 mm (79 in). The Himalayas capture moisture from the monsoons that sweep in from the Bay of Bengal, and most of this rainfall is expended in the eastern Himalayas. Therefore, the western Himalayas are drier, a trend reflected in the timberline that declines from 4,000 m (13,000 ft) in the east to about 3,500 m (11,500 ft) in the west.
Eight protected areas extend into this ecoregion covering 2,710 km2 (1,050 sq mi), which is about 7% of the ecoregion's area:
Two high-priority tiger conservation units (TCU) extend across adjacent ecoregions:
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Wikipedia