Better methods of controlling the monkey populations are required, and new approaches should be developed to reduce the damage. There is an urgent need to study the impact of climate change on insects and pathogens in the Himalayas. Assessment of the status and impact of invasive insects on forest health are needed in the north-western Himalayas, especially in view of the expected climate change.
The beetle Pityogenus scitus , has been causing extensive damage in Pinus wallichiana forests in the states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir during — The Lepidoptera species Lymantria obfuscata , is causing mortality in several tree species, including Quercus leucotrichophora , Q. Affected host tree species of the sap sucking aphid Tuberolachnus salignus are Salix alba , Salix correalua and Salix babilonica. The rate of change as well as the number and severity of extreme climatic events is likely to affect the magnitude of these impacts and the ability to cope with them.
Predictions of outbreak frequencies are hard to make without proper understanding of the population dynamics and the prevailing natural conditions. The distribution ranges of pathogens and pests are likely to extend to new areas, but prediction is difficult. Thus, improved knowledge about the anticipated effects of the changing climate on these biotic threats is desirable.
Studies on fuel wood and fodder consumption patterns in different regions of the Western Himalayas are needed to evaluate the effectiveness or wastefulness of existing agricultural and agroforestry practices.
Rural people depend on the forests to collect fuel wood for their daily needs, but sustainable wood harvesting studies are not available for the region.
Most of the highland pastures are in the state of severe degradation due to heavy livestock pressure, and studies are also needed to determine the carrying capacities of grasslands and alpine pastures of the Himalayas, to regulate grazing and improve sustainable production. Several government departments and numerous private agencies are doing research on medicinal plants but there is a serious lack of coordination between the different institutions.
The production of economically valuable medicinal plants, e. The biodiversity of the protected and unprotected areas across the Indian Himalayan Region needs to be assessed and monitored for understanding the status and development patterns.
Data on the biodiversity status of native, endemic and threatened species are lacking. For example, the invasive shrub Lantana camara , which occurs at the lower and mid Himalayan regions, has taken over vast forest areas thus reducing biodiversity. Studies should be initiated to determine the effectiveness of bamboo plantations and other measures in combating Lantana. The environmental impacts of hydroelectric projects, which have recently been established in the region, need to be assessed due to growing concern about their negative effects.
Studies on existing micro-watersheds of Himalayas are also required for proposing strategies for their management under changing climatic conditions. These initiatives may be more successful within international cooperation networks and an effective capacity building program.
There is a need to strengthen climate data collection in the western Himalayan region. Local climate data are scarce, assessment methods are usually not uniform and the instrumentation is not sufficiently standardized Negi et al.
The vulnerable mountain ecosystems are likely to face greater risk of climate change impacts than other ecosystems. Coordinated efforts are therefore required to develop effective strategies for adaptation and mitigation. Until now, the required large-scale understanding of forest ecosystems has been based on remote sensing data. GFBI can supplement this information with massive ground-sourced inventory data, which will greatly enhance our understanding of forest dynamics in a global context Liang et al.
Linking these local efforts with international initiatives is likely to produce greater transparency and more effective global cooperation in responding to regional environmental threats in the Western Himalayas.
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IPCC Summary for policymakers. Part a: global and Sectoral aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 1— Science Trop Ecol 53 3 — NOAA The state of the climate. Padma TV Himalayan plants seek cooler climes. Nature Pandey R Base paper for the committee to study development in hill states arising from management of forest.
Raina VK Himalayan glaciers: a state-of-art review of glacial studies, glacial retreat and climate change. MOEF discussion paper. Ann Glaciol 51 54 — J Climate 12 9 — Hydrol Sci J — In: Jha MK ed Natural and anthropogenic disasters: vulnerability, preparedness and mitigation. Springer, The Netherlands, pp — Tewari VP Forest inventory, assessment, and monitoring, and long-term forest observational studies, with special reference to India. Forest Sci Technol 12 1 — For Ecol Manag — Climate Risk Manag — Conserv Biol — Download references.
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar. VPT drafted the manuscript and was involved in establishment of Shimla observational plot, RKV helped in establishment of observational plots and field data collection, and KVG did analysis and editing of manuscript.
All the authors read and approved the final manuscript. Correspondence to Vindhya Prasad Tewari. Reprints and Permissions. Tewari, V. Climate change effects in the Western Himalayan ecosystems of India: evidence and strategies. Download citation. Received : 18 March Accepted : 27 July The science, in many cases, is still catching up to the lived experiences of the millions of mountain residents. In , an IPCC global assessment report highlighted the dearth of scientific knowledge about exactly how climate had already and would continue to impact the critical, iconic, vast region in the future.
At first, the panel suggested that the glaciers in the region would disappear completely by Glaciologists who knew the region pushed back—the situation was much more complex, they knew.
So the challenge was set, and scientists from around the world dug into the knotty problem. Many of the glaciers of the region are in remote valleys or hard-to-access mountains, complex areas that make it particularly tricky for scientists to figure out how they are changing from satellite imagery. Scientists struggled to find enough good, reliable data across the vast swath of the mountain range.
Now, a coherent picture has emerged. And what it shows is a region that will face enormous challenges in the coming years, says Wester. The region, with its millions of residents and important resources for the downstream neighbors, has not gotten the international attention it deserves, he says. We know this is going to be tough, and we know enough to take action. All rights reserved. Share Tweet Email. Why it's so hard to treat pain in infants. This wild African cat has adapted to life in a big city.
Animals Wild Cities This wild African cat has adapted to life in a big city Caracals have learned to hunt around the urban edges of Cape Town, though the predator faces many threats, such as getting hit by cars. India bets its energy future on solar—in ways both small and big. Environment Planet Possible India bets its energy future on solar—in ways both small and big Grassroots efforts are bringing solar panels to rural villages without electricity, while massive solar arrays are being built across the country.
Go Further. Animals Climate change is shrinking many Amazonian birds. Animals Wild Cities This wild African cat has adapted to life in a big city. Animals This frog mysteriously re-evolved a full set of teeth. Animals Wild Cities Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London. These complex and diverse eco-regions are interconnected: an ecological threat to one is ultimately a threat to many. Here are just a few examples of Himalayan ecology:.
Western alpine shrubs and meadows can be found between 9, and 16, ft. These areas tend to have cold winters and mild summers that allow for plant growth. Rhododendron plants cover the lower shrublands, while the alpine meadows, directly above, host a range of flora in the warmer months. Animals found in this region include the snow leopard, Himalayan tahr, musk deer, and pikas. Temperate Coniferous Forest: In the northeast, temperate sub-alpine conifer forests are found at elevations of 8, to 13, ft.
Located in the inner valley area, these forests are protected from harsh monsoon conditions by surrounding mountain ranges. The dominant tree types are pine, hemlock, spruce, and fir. Animals found in this region include red pandas, takins, and musk deer. Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests: Found in middle elevations of 6, to 9, ft.
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