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The Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion of the elevations of the northwestern Himalaya of China, India, and Pakistan.

Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows
Pin Valley National Park
Ecoregion territory (in purple)
Ecology
Biome	Montane grasslands and shrublands
Borders	List Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests Western Himalayan broadleaf forests Himalayan subtropical pine forests Baluchistan xeric woodlands Hindu Kush alpine meadow
Bird species	172[1]
Mammal species	80[1]
Geography
Area	49,400 km2 (19,100 sq mi)
Countries	India, China, Pakistan and Afghanistan
Conservation
Habitat loss	20.896%[1]
Protected	9.24%[1]

Setting

Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows cover 49,400 square kilometres (19,100 sq mi) at elevations between 3,300 and 3,600 metres (10,800 and 11,800 ft) in the northwestern Himalayas. They are found in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir in northwestern India and in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan in northern Pakistan.

Flora

This ecoregion's flora is composed mostly of krummholz and herbaceous plants.

Various rhododendrons live in the scrub habitat near timberline, as do junipers and birches. Although several species of rhododendron are recorded in this ecoregion, they are represented by a lesser greater diversity than in the eastern Himalaya, where 60 species are reported in the Northeastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests.

Genera of herbaceous plants include Doronicum, Delphinium, Gentiana, Meconopsis, Pedicularis, Anemone, Aster, Polygonum, Primula, and Mertensia. Scree habitats include Caragana, Saxifraga, Draba, and Gypsophila.

Fauna

Eighty mammals species are reported in this ecoregion. It contains prime habitat for the snow leopard and the Tibetan wolf. Other mammals include the ibex, markhor, blue sheep, tahr, and Himalayan marmot.

There are 172 bird species in this ecoregion. Important birds include the lammergeier, golden eagle, Himalayan griffon vulture, snow partridge, Tibetan snowcock, and Himalayan snowcock.

Conservation

This ecoregion is well preserved because of high elevation, difficult climate, and lack of trees. Protected areas include:

• Pin Valley National Park
• Great Himalayan National Park
• Kishtwar National Park

See also

• List of ecoregions in India

References

External links

• "Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.

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