Photograph by   Southern Asia: Tibet, India, and central Bhutan Temperate Coniferous Forests   17,900 square miles (46,300 square kilometers) -- about twice the size of New Hampshire Vulnerable

· Trees on the Roof
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Trees on the Roof

The Tibetan Plateau is so high, vast, cold, and snowy that it's often called the "Roof of the World" and "Land of Snows." Many rivers wind from the plateau and down through the Himalayan Mountains. High hills, surrounding river valleys, are covered with dense conifer forests. Steep terrain that’s nearly impossible to reach, as well as heavy monsoons, have kept the human population low here, so many rare mammals such as the red panda, takin, and musk deer find refuge in these forests.

Special Features

Much of the Northeast Himalayan Subalpine Conifer Forests grow along the Tsangpo River, which flows for more than 600 miles (1,000 km) before passing through the Himalayas. Land along the upper part of the Tsangpo's course is quite dry, but the middle part is wet because of regular monsoon rains. Conifer forests grow well between elevations of about 8,000 to 14,000 ft. (2,500-4,200 m). These forests are the global center of diversity for rhododendron species.

	Although they share a name, red pandas are quite different from black-and-white giant pandas. Red pandas are small and live in high, cold mountains. They aren't bears, as giant pandas are, but rather are more closely related to raccoons.

Wild Side

The forests provide ample habitat for endangered red pandas and takins, along with Asiatic black bears and snow leopards. The goat-like red ghoral lives mostly in a special preserve in southeast Tibet, while threatened musk deer roam along the Yi’ong River. Several endemic species of birds live along the lower Tsangpo River. The babbler and giant babax like both forests and scrubland, while threatened Tibetan eared and white-eared pheasants live high in the hills. Dominant trees in this ecoregion are hemlock, spruce, and fir. Near tree line, junipers, larch, pine, and yew grow on drier sites. Below the subalpine belt, conifer forests give way to mixed evergreen and deciduous trees. Above tree line, juniper and rhododendron, along with deciduous shrubs, are found on moist, sheltered sites.

Cause for Concern

Commercial logging is impractical in steep, remote parts of the ecoregion, but many trees have been taken from lower elevations in southeastern areas. Local residents cut trees for building and fuel, and they hunt animals, especially musk deer and pheasants.

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