Upper Naltar Valley, Pakistan Photograph by © WWF-Canon/Mauri RAUTKARI   India, Nepal, Pakistan Temperate Coniferous Forests   15,300 square miles (39,700 square kilometers) -- about the size of New Hampshire and Hawaii combined Vulnerable

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

The Western Himalayan Subalpine Conifer forest plays a critical ecological role as part of the Himalayan ecosystem. This ecoregion forms a connection between the Terai grasslands of southern Nepal and the high alpine meadows and boulder-strewn scree that lie at the very top of the Himalayas. Several Himalayan birds and mammals exhibit seasonal migrations up and down these steep mountain slopes and depend on contiguous habitat for these movements. If any of the habitats are lost or degraded, these movements can be disrupted. Thus, conservation of this ecoregion is critical in maintaining the biodiversity÷species and processes÷of this youngest and tallest mountain range on Earth.

Special Features

The western extents of the Himalayas have more extensive conifer forests of blue pine (Pinus wallichiana), chilgoza pine (Pinus gerardiana), fir (Abies spectabilis), silver fir (Abies pindrow), and spruce (Picea smithiana) than the moister eastern part of the mountain range. These subalpine areas also have a number of economically important species such as Daphne bholua, Arundinaria spp., Betula utilis, and a large number of medicinal plants and edible mushrooms.

	The markhor (Capra falconeri) is the national animal of Pakistan. The markhor is a relative of the goat, and have distinctive cork-screwing horns. The primary threat to this species is trophy-hunting, in which a single trophy license can cost as much as $18,000 USD.

Wild Side

There are not a lot of mammal species found in this ecoregion, but of those that are here, many are threatened or endangered. These species include the southern serow (Naemorhedus sumatraensis), Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus), and markhor (Capra falconeri). The ecoregionās bird fauna consists of 285 species, of which 9 are endemic to the ecoregion, including the Himalayan quail (Ophrysia superciliosa), orange bullfinch (Pyrrhula aurantiaca), and Kashmir nuthatch (Sitta cashmirensis). Other species such as pheasants, and tragopans÷e.g., Koklass pheasant (Pucrasia macrolopha), western tragopan (Tragopan melanocephalus), and Himalayan monal (Lophophorus impejanus)÷are characteristic of these subalpine western Himalayan forests and have low disturbance thresholds. The Himalayan griffon (Gyps himalayensis), a large bird of prey that soars high above the mountains in these alpine regions and embodies the sense of space in the high Himalayas, can be another focal species.

Cause for Concern

Although the ecoregion is less populated than some of the other Himalayan ecoregions, (especially those in the lower elevations), more than 70% of the natural habitat has been cleared or degraded. Nevertheless, this ecoregion contains some of the least disturbed forests in the western Himalayas. The 11 protected areas cover 2,400 km², or about 6% of the ecoregion. The steep slopes of some of the high mountains have been deforested for intensive cultivation, although the practice of terracing has greatly reduced erosion. Large-scale collection of the morel mushroom (Morchella esculenta) from this ecoregion by the local people for export coincides with the breeding season of several pheasants and high altitude mammals. Collection of wood by the local people for their own use and for sale to tourist trekkers and mountaineering parties is also a substantial threat, especially as the high altitude forests are very slow to regenerate.

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