Regional Facts
The Abode of Snow
Himalayas (Sanskrit for ‘abode of snow’) span across six countries including, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Myrica esculenta, aka “Kaaphal”
Myrica esculenta, locally known as Kaaphal, is a sub-temperate evergreen tree found throughout the mid-Himalayas, starting from about 1300 metres and going up to about 2300 metres. The tree yields fruit which is one of the tastiest wild fruits of the sub-Himalayan region. This fruit tree carries a lot of commercial importance and every year its fruits worth thousands of rupees are sold in different towns of Uttarakhand.
The Water Source
Himalayas are the source of three of the world’s most major river systems including the Indus, the Ganga-Brahmaputra and the Yangtze.
The World’s Highest Mountain Range
The Himalayas is the world’s highest mountain range: 9 out of the 10 highest mountain peaks of the world are located in the Himalayas.
Felis chaus
(Felis chaus) lives in heights up to 2500 m, but is more common in the lowlands. Jungle cats hunt in the daytime for rodents, frogs and birds. Those cats living close to bodies of water are able to swim and dive in order to catch fish.
Importance of Glaciers
About 15,000 Glaciers situated in the Himalayan range store about 12,000 Km3 of fresh water. The 70 Km long Siachen Glacier at the India-Pakistan border is the second longest glacier in the world outside polar region.
Pomegranates
A pomegranate is a deciduous shrub / small tree growing to between five and eight meters tall. It is commonly known as Darim in the local vernacular. The pomegranate has been grown in the Asian countries since ancient times. Wild pomegranate seeds are used as a spice known as anardana, most notably in Indian cuisine.
The Ganges River
With origin place in Garhwal Himalayas the river Ganga (2506 km long) is the largest river in the Indian subcontinent. It is considered the holiest of all rivers by Hindus and worshiped as the goddess. The Ganges Basin drains 1,000,000-square-kilometres and supports one of the world’s highest densities of humans with about 322 to 644 km wide basin.
Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon
The Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon (Treron sphenurus) is distributed from Kashmir along the Himalayas to south central China, Thailand, Myanmar and many other places. It has a wedge-shaped green tail with a yellowish-green head and breast
Global Warming Effects
The steady flow of water from the melting icepacks of the Himalayas fills seven of the mightiest rivers of Asia. Now, due to global warming and related changes in the monsoons and trade winds, the glaciers are retreating at a startling rate, and scientists say the ancient icepacks could nearly disappear within one or two generations.
The Himalayan Ecosystem
The unique Himalayan ecosystem in Uttrakhand plays host to a large number of spectacular animals (including bharal, snow leopards, and tigers), plants and rare herbs.