A biogeographic area with high levels of biodiversity that is threatened by habitation is

referred to as a biodiversity hotspot. The Eastern Himalayas are the biodiversity hotspot I've

chosen to write about.

The Eastern Himalayas are in South Asia. It includes trails in the Darjeeling Hills, Sikkim,

Arunachal Pradesh, and Eastern Bhutan. The region is drained by the Brahmaputra and its

tributaries: the Teesa drains Sikkim and the Darjeeling districts, and the Manas drains parts of

Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh (Eastern Himalayas, n.d.).

“The Eastern Himalayas are home to 10,000 plant species, 176 reptiles, 977 birds, 300

mammals, 105 amphibians, 269 freshwater fishes, Bengal Tigers, Asian Elephants, One-

horned Rhinos, Snow Leopards, and other animals” (Thieme, 2019). Bengal Tigers

(Panthera Tigris Tigris) and Asian Elephants (Elephas Maximus) are two important species

that live in Eastern Himalayas. They are important because they form a key element of the

food chain, help the stability or regeneration of habitats.

I believe that Asian Elephants (Elephas Maximus) are a mystical species that plays an

essential part in Asian culture and religion. However, these species are threatened since 20%

of the world's human population lives in or near Asian Elephant habitat. Constant risks are

increasing as a result of human settlement in their habitat. Their natural tendency is to seek

food in the traditional manner. They come through highways, crop fields, and settlements

along the way. This causes confrontation between people and elephants, and many people

and elephants are killed each year as a result (Priority Species, 2011).

The interesting facts I have learned about the Eastern Himalayas are, the Eastern Himalayas

are shared by four countries.Bhutan, China, India, and Nepal are among them. Nepal has the

highest pick (8884m) mountain named Mount Everest. Over a billion people live within the

river basins of the Eastern Himalayas (About the Area, n.d.).

I believe that large groups that fight to rescue nature and extinct species should engage with

the government to save our natural resources, develop, and address the effects of climate

change, species loss, habitat loss, and unsustainable livelihoods.

References

Eastern Himalayas. (n.d.). Edugreen.teri.res.in.

https://edugreen.teri.res.in/explore/life/eastern.htm

Thieme, M. (2019). Himalayas | Places | WWF. World Wildlife Fund.

https://www.worldwildlife.org/places/eastern-himalayas

Priority Species. (2011). Panda.org.

https://wwf.panda.org/discover/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/eastern_himalaya/

about/species/

About the Area. (n.d.). Wwf.panda.org.

https://wwf.panda.org/discover/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/eastern_himalaya/

about/