ART INTEGRATED PROJECT

FLORA AND FAUNA OF LEH

ALL THE ANIMAL LIFE OF A PARTICULAR PLACE IS CALLED FAUNA. ITS CORRESPONDING TERM IS FLORA
WHICH REFERS TO PLANT LIFE. THE FLORA AND FAUNA OF A PLACE IS WHAT MAKES UP THE BIODIVERSITY
OF A PLACE.
LADAKH HAS A VERY COLD CLIMATE WITH ROCKY AND UNEVEN TERRAIN. IT IS A DRY DESERT WITH A
SEVERE CLIMATE WITH LOW TEMPERATURES. DUE TO THESE FACTORS, THERE IS A LIMITED AMOUNT OF
VEGETATION HERE. THERE ARE CERTAIN TYPES OF WILLOW GROVES, WILD ROSES, AND HERBS. THERE
ARE A NUMBER OF HERBS AND PERENNIAL AND ANNUAL SHRUBS. LADAKH PLANTS BEGIN TO GROW IN
EARLY SUMMER, AND MOST OF THE MOISTURE IS PROVIDED BY MELTING SNOW. THE PLANTS BEGIN TO
DISAPPEAR IN EARLY WINTER IN SEPTEMBER. THE HIMALAYAS ARE A RICH SOURCE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS
SINCE ANCIENT TIMES, COMMONLY USED FOR MOST OF THE TRADITIONAL ASIAN MEDICINE SYSTEMS.
LADAKH'S COLD DESERT HOUSES MANY MAMMALS AND BIRDS THAT HAVE ADAPTED IN VARIOUS WAYS TO
THE EXTREME COLD OF THE INDIAN HIMALAYAS, AND MANY LADAKH ANIMALS, INCLUDING SNOW
LEOPARDS, TIBETAN WOLVES, TIBETAN ARGALI, AND BLACK, ARE ON THE VERGE OF EXTINCTION. LADAKH
IS A NATURAL WONDER BLESSED WITH A MULTITUDE OF EXOTIC SPECIES OF MIGRATORY BIRDS AND
WILDLIFE, AND IS A HAVEN FOR NUMEROUS BIRDS AND WILDLIFE THAT ROAM FREELY IN THEIR NATURAL
HABITAT.
 FLORA IN LEH

APPLE:-
LADAKH IS A COLD DESERT IN
INDIA. IT EXPERIENCES VERY
HARSH TEMPERATURES AND
HENCE THE VEGETATION IN
LADAKH IS SPARSE. DURING THE
SUMMER, APPLE TREES BLOOM
IN LADAKH.
WALNUT:-
WALNUT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
TEMPERATE NUT FRUIT IN THE
COUNTRY. WALNUTS IN INDIA ARE
FOUND IN DIFFERENT SIZE AND
SHAPES. THE INDIAN WALNUTS ARE
CATEGORIZED INTO 4 CATEGORIES VIZ.,
PAPER-SHELLED, THIN-SHELLED,
MEDIUM-SHELLED AND HARD-
SHELLED. WALNUTS FLOURISHED AT
ALTITUDES OF 900 TO 3000.
WILLOW WOOD:-
WILLOW WOOD IS ALSO USED IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF BOXES, BROOMS,
CRICKET BATS, CRADLE BOARDS,
CHAIRMANS AND OTHER FURNITURE.
INDIAN WILLOW IS A MEDIUM SIZED
TREE OF WET AND SWAMPY PLACES,
SHEDDING THE LEAVES AT THE END OF
MONSOON.
 FAUNA OF LEH

SNOW LEOPARD:-
SNOW LEOPARD IS ONE OF THE MOST ELUSIVE
SPECIES OF ANIMALS AND THAT IS WHAT MAKES IT SO
APPEALING. HOWEVER, DUE TO THREATS TO THIS
MYSTERIOUS CAT, “PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD” WAS
INITIATED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ALONG
WITH SNOW LEOPARD CONSERVANCY TO PROTECT
THE ANIMAL WITH THE HELP OF THE LOCAL
COMMUNITIES. VILLAGERS IN HEMIS NATIONAL PARK,
NUBRA VALLEY AND HANLE HAVE PLEDGED TO HELP
IN THE PROTECTION OF SNOW LEOPARD.
ASIATIC IBEX:-
ASIATIC IBEX, CONSIDERED TO BE A SUB-
SPECIES OF THE SIBERIAN IBEX, HAS
DISTINCTIVE BEAUTIFUL HORNS. IT IS KNOWN
TO AVOID AREAS WITH DEEP SNOW AND TALL
VEGETATION. ASIATIC IBEX IS ACTIVE BEFORE
AND AFTER SUNRISE AND REMAINS INACTIVE
DURING THE DAY. HOWEVER, THEY ARE
ACTIVE DURING THE DAY AT THE TIME OF
HEAVY SNOWFALL. ASIATIC IBEX HAS THICK
FUR THAT PROTECTS IT FROM THE COLD IN
WINTER, BUT IT SHED IT ONCE A YEAR IN
SUMMER. OFTEN FOUND IN A HERD OF 50,
ASIATIC IBEX IS AN HERBIVORE AND FEEDS ON
SHRUBS AND GRASSES.
THE BLACK-NECKED CRANES:-
THE BLACK-NECKED CRANES ARE ENDEMIC
TO THE TIBETAN REGION AND THE
HIMALAYAS. THE CHANCES OF SIGHTING
BLACK-NECKED CRANES EN ROUTE TSO
MORIRI AND TSO KAR LAKE ARE QUITE
PROBABLE. IT IS THE ONLY HIGH-ALTITUDE
CRANE AMONG THE 15 SPECIES FOUND IN
THE WORLD. THESE MIGRATORY BIRDS
HAVE BEEN PROTECTED BY THE LOCALS
FOR CENTURIES AND ARE OFTEN FOUND IN
THE WETLANDS. IT IS AN ENDANGERED
SPECIES OF BIRD THAT IS FACING A THREAT
FOR ITS SURVIVAL FROM STRAY DOGS.