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FLORA AND FAUNA
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| Nepal's richness is not limited to traditions and cultures. Because of the topographical as well as climatic variations the country is equally rich in flora and fauna that is believed to be most diverse in the entire Asian continent. This richness has to do with the unbelievable variety of terrain that Nepal possesses. From the dense sub-tropical forests to steppe, and from birch, larch and hemlock to oak, pine and the beautiful rhododendron, Nepal has it all. Due to its geographic and climatic diversity, Nepal occupying just 0.1 % of the world's total land mass is surprisingly rich in bio-diversity. Nepal has 10,167 plant species and out of them 5,891 flowering. The country's flora comprises 2.5% of the total global flora. Nepal is also extremely rich in indigenous medicinal plants. The medicinal and aromatic plants database of Nepal includes 1,624 species of wild, domesticated, and naturalized plant species. Of these, 1,533 are flowering and 91 are non flowering plants.
Likewise, Nepal's position in global fauna is astounding as 635 species ( 4.2% ) of total global butterflies, 185 species ( 2.2 % ) of fresh water fishes, 43 species ( 1.1%) of amphibians, 100 species ( 1.5 % ) of reptiles, 860 species ( 8.5 % ) of birds, and 181 species ( 4.2% ) of mammals are found in the country.
Rhododendrons blossom into their true colour during the month of March and April in Makalu and Kanchenjunga areas. Raptors or birds of prey are found in all sizes in the Himalaya, and they are found there with the onset of winter. There are six species of pheasant in Nepal including the impeyan pheasant, Nepal's national bird. Nepal has 17 species of cuckoo, which are characterised by their distinctive calls. Migratory birds are found in abundance in Terai, which fly all the way from their Tibetan nestling grounds during the winter to escape extreme cold weather of Tibetan plateau. Some of them fly from as far as Mongolia and Siberia. Thus Nepal is also known as the Paradise for birds and animals because of conservation effort made by the people and the government. Temperate Evergreen Forest The region starts from the altitude of 2400 meters and extends to the slopes of the Himalayas. At the lower parts of the region are the conifer forests vegetated by Picea, Tusga, Larix and Abies species. Meanwhile, rhododendron, bamboo and maples are common at the altitude of 3600 to 3900 meters. This region is also relatively poor in wildlife. The most common wildlife in the region includes the Himalayan bear, serow, ghoral, barking deer, and Himalayan Tahr. The region is famous for the spectacular red pandas. Among the birds are the pheasants, including Nepal's national bird Danfe.
The region features rhododendron, juniper scrub and woody vegetation upto the altitude of 4200 meters. Short grasses and mosses follow above to the altitude of 5100 meters. Above this altitude, flora is sparse. The animal species in the region include Himalayan marmots, mouse hare, tahr, musk deer and snow leopard. The birds found in the region are redstarts, dippers and lammergeyer. Tropical Deciduous Monsoon Forest This category groups together the plants that are found in the Terai plains and the broad flat valleys found between hills. Sal (Shorea Robusta), Semal (Bombax Malabricum), Asna (Terminalia Termentosa), Jasmine, Mimosas, Accecia reeds and bamboo are common in the region. In higher altitude, especially at the altitude of 1800 meters, Pinus Rosburghi species is found. The region is the richest in the country for wildlife. While the tropical region is famous for gaurs, buffaloes, tigers, leopards and deer, the grassy valleys are notable for rhinoceros, swamp deer and hot deer. Similarly, the rivers are populous with crocodile, the beautiful Gangetic dolphins, the lakes and ponds with duck and geese. Peacocks, jungle fowl and black partridge also richly populate in the forests. Subtropical Mixed Evergreen Forest The region includes the outer wall of the Himalayan range, and is called the Mahabharat range. The range reaches to the middle hills and valleys. It is rich with famous gushing rivers like Karnali, Narayani and Sapta Koshi, just to mention a few. The region is richly dotted with plant species, most commonly Castenopsis Indica, Schima Wallichii, Alnus Nepalensis, Acer Oblongum, oak and rhododendron. The upper region has less number of species, while the forests become dense as we step downwards. Wildlife is relatively poor in the region. The most common species are mammals including wild boar, barking deer, serow, ghorals and bears. |
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USEFUL INFORMATION
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