The document discusses alpine forests, which occur at high elevations and above the tree line. Alpine forests are found in mountainous regions like the Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindukush ranges in Pakistan. They exist between 3,000m to the snowline, where the climate is very cold, windy, and snowy. Trees cannot grow at these altitudes due to low temperatures, so alpine forests are characterized by the absence of trees or presence of only dwarf trees. A variety of hardy plants, animals, insects, and microbes have adapted to survive in this harsh environment. Alpine forests provide many benefits but are threatened by climate change, urbanization, tourism, and other human

1. Alpine Forest
Marina Bibi: 2016-KIU-1066
Zakia Ashraf: 2016-KIU-1067
BS VI

3. Introduction
• Forests are main source of paper, fuel, wood,
latex, lumber, medicine, food and resins etc
• Also provides ecotourism and wildlife
conservation
• Forests cover 4.8% land of Pakistan

4. Cont…
• Arctic and alpine covers 16% of the earth.
• Alpine derives from Latin word ‘’Alp’’ meaning
high mountain.
• It has well defined vegetation and
characterized by absence of trees or dwarf
trees.

5. Ecology of Alpine
• Forests of alpine zone occurs near mountain
tops
• In Pakistan found in the mountainous regions
of Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindukush.
• alpine biome lies between an altitude of
10,000 feet (3000m) above sea level and place
where snowline begins

6. Western alpine shrub
Karakoram western alpine

7. Alpine Climate
• Climate is very cold, icy, snowy and windy.
• Average precipitation is 30cm per year
• Due to extreme low temperature trees can’t grow
• Growing season for plants is about 180days

8. Cont…
• During summer temperature reaches around
-12 C⁰
– Summer last from june to september
• During winter temperature below freezing
point and with higher altitude get much
colder.
– Winter last from october to may

9. Alpine Plants
• Plants that grow in an alpine climate which
occurs at high elevation and above the tree
line.
• Alpine plants are not a single taxon Rather,
many different plant species live in the alpine
environment.
• These include:
– perennial grasses, sedges, forbs, cushion
plants, mosses, and lichens.

10. Examples of Alpine plants
• hgh
Glory of the snow lichen Xanthoria elegans

11. Cont..
• Many plants are used economically, in
Himalayas many species traded for medicinal
and aromatic use.
• Annual trade of these plants amount to
million US dollar.
• Many household in Nepal and India rely on
medicinal plants as a source of income.

12. Cont…
• Some of the plant species in Nepal include:
– Neopicrorhiza scrophulariflora, Discorea
deltoidea, Rheum austrade
• Indian species include:
– Aconitum heterophyllum, Dichoriza kurrooa

13. Discorea deltoideaNeopicrorhiza scrophulariflora,

14. Alpine animals
• Alpine animals face 2 problems
– Cold temperature
– Ultraviolet wavelengths (UV)
• There are only warm blooded animals and some
insects
• adapted by shorter limbs ( legs, ears and tails)
help to reduce heat loss and larger lung
capacities, more blood cells and hemoglobin.

15. • These animals hibernate and migrate to
warmer areas of the mountain
• Some insulate their bodies with extra fats and
fur.
• There are about 30,000 animal species in
alpine zone

16. • Chikara in North America
• Chinchilla in South
America
• Ibex in North Africa, East
Africa, Eurasia including
northern areas of Pakistan
• Markhor in Asia
• Snow leopard in central
Asia

17. • Rodents include:
marmot, Norwegia
lemming, snow vole.
• Invertebrates
include: moths,
butterflies, beetles,
spiders, grasshopper,
flies, cockroaches,
flatworms and giant
snail

18. Threats to alpine forests
Alpine forests are subject to many threats and
suffer many damages, main causes include
• Urbanization: continual expansion of cities,
town, villages
• Transportation: noise and air pollution,
excess NO₂ results in acid rain.

19. • Tourism: major driver of urbanization and
traffic, leisure activities by tourists as winter
ski tourism, adventure sports harm landscape.
• Hydroelectricity supply: most cities rely on
alpine water for drinking and electricity
supply, human pressure and global warming
put alpine water at risk.

20. • Agriculture: massive use of fertilizers, grading
and drainage.
• Climate change: global warming diminish
glaciers, glacier recession led to upward
migration of alpine plants and extinction of
lowland plants
– Cause Exotic species and pathogen inavsion

21. Importance of Alpine forests
• 22% of the world people on mountain directly
benefit from alpine forests and lowland
people also dependant on Alps for many
goods as
– Water supply
– Energy
– Timber and wood
• Biodiversity maintenance
• Recreation and spiritual renewal