Regional, ecological and biodiversity context of the Kashmir Valley, northwestern Himalaya, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.10417.18.7.29181-29195Keywords:
Biogeographic transition zone, climate refugia, habitat connectivity, human wildlife interactions, landscape conservation, land-use change, Palearctic Oriental transition, protected-area network, Ramsar wetlands, threatened ungulates, transhumant pastoralismAbstract
The Kashmir Valley (Kashmir region) part of the western Himalaya of India is an intermontane basin with an area of around 16,000 km². The valley forms a biogeographic transition between the Palearctic and Oriental realms of the world. The elevation of the valley ranges from 1,100 m to >5,000 m, and the lowest area of the valley is Uri sector, from where the water drains. Due to the strong elevational and climatic gradients, the valley forms a mosaic of temperate forests, subalpine scrub, alpine meadows, glaciers, and a network of internationally important wetlands, including Hokera/Hokersar and Wular. Despite the 19 terrestrial protected areas including national parks and multiple wildlife sanctuaries and conservation reserves, large portions of the species’ habitats occur outside formal protection. They are highly exposed to land-use change, unregulated grazing, infrastructure expansion, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching. This study compiled data from published literature, government records, and field-based ecological insights from field studies. This study provides a concise, regional profile of the Kashmir Valley for biodiversity and threatened species study and conservation. The valley’s physiography, climate and hydrology, major habitat types and land-use zones, wetlands are summarized. This study also focuses on, the protected-area network, and key conservation priorities for threatened species such as the Hangul (Kashmir Stag) Cervus hanglu hanglu, Kashmir Musk Deer Moschus cupreus, and Kashmir Markhor Capra falconeri. This study aims to support standardized reporting of Kashmir as regional area context and to inform landscape-scale conservation planning that extends beyond protected areas in the Kashmir Himalaya.
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