| Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows | |
| Map: | Ecoregion PA1012.png |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Map Alt: | Ecoregion territory (in purple) |
| Country: | India |
| Country1: | China |
| Country2: | Pakistan |
| Country3: | Afghanistan |
| Border: | Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe |
| Border1: | Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows |
| Border2: | Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests |
| Border3: | Western Himalayan broadleaf forests |
| Border4: | Himalayan subtropical pine forests |
| Border5: | Baluchistan xeric woodlands |
| Border6: | Hindu Kush alpine meadow |
| Bird Species: | 172[1] |
| Mammal Species: | 80 |
| Habitat Loss: | 20.896 |
| Protected: | 9.24 |
| Area: | 49400 |
| Biome: | Montane grasslands and shrublands |
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.[2]
Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows cover 49400sqkm at elevations between 3300mand3600mm (10,800feetand11,800feetm) 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.[3]
This ecoregion's flora is composed mostly of krummholz and herbaceous plants.[4]
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.
Eighty mammals species are reported in this ecoregion. It contains prime habitat for the snow leopard and the Tibetan wolf.[5] Other mammals include the ibex, markhor, blue sheep, tahr, and Himalayan marmot.[6]
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.[7]
This ecoregion is well preserved because of high elevation, difficult climate, and lack of trees. Protected areas include: