Valley of Flowers NP, India Photograph by G.S.Rawat   China, Pakistan, and India Montane Grasslands and Shrublands   19,100 square miles (49,400 square kilometers) -- about twice the size of Maryland Relatively Stable/Intact

· Land of Opportunity
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Land of Opportunity

We know little of this ecoregion. It may harbor animals never before described by science. And it probably contains pockets of unknown plants growing in tiny microclimates. This remote ecoregion of rock and ice is a potential boom for scientific discovery.

Special Features

In contrast to the amazing diversity in the Eastern Himalayan Alpine Shrub and Meadow ecoregion, this area of grassland and shrubland harbors a more modest array of plants. The lower reaches of the region are dominated by birch and five species of rhododendron. Alpine meadows support plants such as gentians, poppies, anemones, and louseworts. The rocky slopes contain cushion-forming plants, which are adapted to temperature variations, wind, and snow.

	If you looked across an alpine area in winter, where would you think the ground would be warmer: in bare areas where the snow has blown away or beneath the snowdrifts? Believe it or not, it’s warmer beneath the snow. Snow acts as insulation, protecting plants by keeping the temperature around 32° F (0° C).

Wild Side

Species known to inhabit this ecoregion include the snow leopard and the hoofed animals that it eats: the markhor, Asiatic ibex, blue sheep, and argali. At least 44 other mammal species live here, ranging from the mighty brown bear to the tiny vole. At least 139 species of birds are also native here, including species well suited to the high elevations of the Himalayans. The lammergeier and the golden eagle hunt other birds and small mammals from the skies. These raptors use their immense claws and sharp talons to capture and carry their prey. Other birds adapted to these mountains include the snow partridge, Tibetan snowcock, and Himalayan snowcock.

Cause for Concern

All of the lands that can support agriculture have already been cleared, but overgrazing and fuel-wood collection pose threats to undisturbed areas. Only one-tenth of this ecoregion lies in protected areas, and the rest has not been inventoried sufficiently to determine its biodiversity importance.

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