Climate Change in Himalaya

Himalayan is a paradise for plant species, comprised of 39% grassland, 20% forested area, 15% of shrubland, and 5% agricultural land . The vegetation can be broadly grouped into four altitudinal types— tropical, subtropical, temperate, and alpine . Apart from elevation, the plant communities is also affected by climatic factors such as changes in temperature, precipitation, snow cover, wind and sun exposure. Meanwhile  anthropocentric influence  is driving vegetation dynamics to a change owing to urbanisation, deforestation, land-use change and hydropower development. Although facing the challenge of Himalayan topographical complexity and harsh environment, advanced methods such as satellite remote sensing and  Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)   have been developped and utilised  for high-quality mapping and data analysis. Numerous institutions also endeavour to make progress with government and local community on plant life conservation and vulner...

Source: JULIE LARSEN MAHER @WCS Hi there, I know you rarely see me this close, I am a medium-sized cat but not that kind of cat you often see in nature, instead I am solitary by very high altitude and one of the most elusive and vulnerable top predators of the world. My kingdom can be found in mountainous regions from Central Asia of Russia, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan to Hindu-Kush-Himalayan regions through Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal and China. Life in these harshest environments is not easy, but I am very well evolved and superbly adapted to survive. Thanks to my woolly and dense hairs I can ward off the severe cold and easily walk on ice and snow with my large fur-covered snowshoes . I've also got enlarged nasal cavity and muscular chest to get sufficient oxygen at high altitudes, my powerful legs and long tail (as long as my body) help me to spring up to 50 feet high with a good balance , and move around my rugged kingdom without any problem. ...

No matter how challenging it could be for living in the highest mountain range in the world, n ot a surprise, the Himalayas nurtures a fantastic diversity of life.  As one of the  10 mega-centres  and the 25  biodiversity hotspots in the world , the Himalayas is a home to : • 10,000 types of plants • 300 mammals • 977 birds • 176 reptiles • 105 amphibians • 269 freshwater fish About  163 globally threatened-endangered species  inhabit in the Himalayas, including Asian elephant, Snow leopard, Ganges River dolphin, Red panda, Bengal tiger, Greater one-horned rhino. Here is a quick view of the amazing ecosystem and the threats faced by the Himalayas. 

Black Carbon (BC) has a  noticeable   history  over the past 150 years in Hindu-Kush-Himalayan (HKH) and Tibetan Plateau (TP),  from pre-industry to modern periods. An analysis  on Mt. Everest ice core during 1860–2000 and based on  Single Particle Soot Photometer  demonstrates that BC concentration from 1975-2000 shows about 3-fold increase compared to the background level of 1860-1975, indicating BC from anthropogenic source has been introduced and transported to highland of Himalayas.   What is black carbon BC is derived from incomplete combustion of organic matter from both natural and anthropogenic sources, in the form of carbonaceous aerosols, heating the  aerosol-planetary boundary layer  with a net warming effect  by absorbing and scattering sunlight. BC can also be deposited onto snow and ice, darkening the surfaces and reducing their albedo feedback . Both mechanisms ar...