Kanchanjunga Conservation Area, Nepal Photograph by Chris Carpenter   Bhutan, India, and Nepal Temperate Coniferous Forests   10,600 square miles (27,500 square kilometers) -- about the size of Maryland and Rhode Island combined Vulnerable

· Downslope
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern

Downslope

These are the last trees that mountaineers see on their way to climbing the peaks of the Middle Himalayas. Trekkers who explore lower reaches probably have more of a chance of seeing some of this ecoregionâs animals, such as musk deer or red pandas.

Special Features

This belt of firs, junipers, and other evergreens lies between 9,900 and 13,200 feet (3,000 and 4,000 m). Few humans live on these steep, rocky slopes. Evergreen shrubs such as rhododendron grow profusely in the forest understory. The rhododendron species change as you move east to west, adding to the diversity of the ecoregion. Stands of blue pine in dry areas and pure birch in wetter areas add pockets of specialized habitat. Two-thirds of this ecoregion remains intact in large blocks and most of this land is protected within preserves.

	The two musk glands of a single musk deer can sell for more than $2,000.

Wild Side

In the mature fir forests of this ecoregion, look for red pandas and musk deer. They are among the 88 species of mammals found here. Youâll find small mammals like civets and martens, and goats and deer like Himalayan tahrs and muntjacs. In the lower elevations, tigers are sometimes seen÷although they are more common in the broadleaf forests below this ecoregion. Look into the sky for two large birds of prey soaring on thermal currents: lammergeiers and Himalayan griffons. More than 200 other species of birds live here, including the buff-throated partridge and the Derbyan parakeet which live nowhere else. Two other birds, Tibetan eared-pheasant and Sclaterâs Monal, are listed as threatened. Other bird species, such as pheasants and tragopans, are not yet threatened, but they wonât tolerate disturbance. If their habitat is protected, other animals and many plants will also be protected.

Cause for Concern

Unprotected land within this ecoregion is threatened by the human need for cooking and heating fuel. Local people cut the trees for themselves and to supply increasing numbers of trekkers and mountaineers. Musk deer are poached for their musk glands, and Asiatic black bears are poached for their gall bladders÷both items considered important medicine in some cultures.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.