BIODIVERSITY

-HIMALAYA

SREE SUBHASHINI | 2020701027

HIMALAYA- SPECIES
Biogeographically, the Himalayan
Mountain Range straddles a
transition zone between the
Palearctic and Indo-Malayan realms.
Species from both are represented in
the hotspot. In addition, geological,
climatic and altitudinal variations in
the region, as well as topographic
complexity, contribute to the
biological diversity of the mountains
along their east-west and north-
south axes.
 PLANTS
● Of the estimated 10,000 species of plants in
the Himalaya Hotspot, about 3,160 are
endemic, as are 71 genera. The largest
family of flowering plants in the hotspot is
the Orchidaceous, with 750 species.
● A zone of permanent ice and rock begins at
about 5,500-6,000 meters. In spite of these
harsh conditions, there are records of
vascular plants occurring at some of the
highest elevations on Earth. Cushion plants
have been recorded at more than 6,100
meters, while a high-altitude scree plant in
the mustard family, Ermania himalayensis,
was found at 6,300 meters on the slopes of
Mt. Kamet in the northwestern Himalayas.
BIRDS & REPTILES
Nearly 980 birds have been
recorded in the hotspot, but only
15 are endemic. Avian flagships
include the Endangered white-
winged duck (Asarcornis scutulata),
Critically Endangered white-
bellied heron (Ardea insignis) and
Critically Endangered Bengal Although there has been little
florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis). systematic study of reptiles and
amphibians in the Himalaya
Hotspot, at least 175 reptiles
have been documented, of which
nearly 50 are endemic. There is
just one endemic genus,
represented by a single species,
the lizard Mictopholis
austeniana, known only from the
holotype
AMPHIBIANS & FRESH WATER FISHES
Among amphibians, there are 105
species known to occur in the
hotspot, more than 40 of which are
endemic. Most of these are frogs
and toads, although there are also
two species of caecilians, one of
which, Ichthyophis sikkimensis, is
endemic and occurs in northern
India and extreme eastern Nepal at
elevations of 1,000 to 1,550 meters.
Fish species from three major
drainage systems, the Indus,
Ganges and Brahmaputra, inhabit
the Himalaya Hotspot, although
the ranges of many species only
just reach into the cold, high-
altitude waterways of this
region. As a result, only 30 of
nearly 270 species are endemic.
MAMMALS
• About 300 mammal species have been
recorded in the Himalaya, including a dozen
that are endemic to the hotspot—the
Endangered golden langur (Trachypithecus
geei) and Critically Endangered pygmy hog
(Sus salvanius) among them.
• The alluvial grasslands support some of the
highest densities of the Endangered tiger
(Panthera tigris) in the world, while the
Brahmaputra and Ganges rivers that flow
along the foothills also support globally
important populations of the Endangered
South Asian river dolphin (Platanista
gangetica). Some of the world's last
remaining populations of the Endangered
wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee) and
Vulnerable swamp deer (Cervus duvaucelii)
are restricted to protected areas in southern
Nepal and northeastern India.
 THREATS
• Despite their apparent remoteness and
inaccessibility, the Himalaya have not been
spared human-induced biodiversity loss. People
have lived in the mountains of the Himalaya for
thousands of years, but in recent decades,
greater access to the global market has
increased the demand for natural resources in
the area. As a result, populations are growing
in the most productive ecosystems, which are
also some of the richest in biodiversity.
• Today, remaining natural habitat in the
Himalaya is patchy. The steadily increasing
population in the hotspot has led to extensive
clearing of forests and grasslands for
cultivation, and widespread logging. Both legal
and illegal logging often occurs on extremely
steep slopes, resulting in severe erosion.
THANK YOU
"An understanding of the natural world is a source
of not only great curiosity, but great fulfilment."