Geography lesson based on wildlife and forest in himachal pradesh

2. 1 . Introduction .
2 . Types of Flora in the forest .
3 . Types of Fauna in the forest .
4 . Usage of Forest in the state.
5 . Conclusion.

3. Forests in Himachal Pradesh currently cover
an area of nearly 37,691 square kilometers
(14,553 sq. mi), which is about 38.3% of the
total land area of the state. The forests were
once considered to be the main source of
income of the state and most of the original
forests were clear felled. The emphasis has
shifted, however, from exploitation to
conservation. The state government aims to
increase forest cover to 50% of the total land
area. There have been various projects,
including the establishment of protected areas
such as National Parks, designed to preserve
and expand the forests.

4. Himalayan Mayapple :
Sinopodophyllum hexandrum is low to the ground with
glossy green, drooping, lobed leaves on its few stiff
branches, and it bears a pale pink flower and bright red-
orange bulbous fruit. The ornamental appearance of the
plant make it a desirable addition to woodland-type
gardens. It can be propagated by seed or by dividing the
rhizome. It is very tolerant of cold temperatures, as
would be expected of a Himalayan plant, but it does not
tolerate dry conditions. Its name in Hindi and Ayurveda
is bantrapushi or Giriparpat.

5. The plant is poisonous. The
rhizome of the plant
contains a resin, known
generally and commercially
as Indian Podophyllum
Resin, which can be
processed to extract
podophyllin
(podophyllotoxin), a
neurotoxin. It is used
medicinally to treat genital
warts.

6. It is a medium-sized evergreen coniferous tree
growing to 20 m tall, similar to Taxus baccata and
sometimes treated as a subspecies of it. The
shoots are green at first, becoming brown after
three or four years. The leaves are thin, flat, slightly
falcate (sickle-shaped), 1.5–2.7 cm long and 2 mm
broad, with a softly mucronate apex; they are
arranged spirally on the shoots but twisted at the
base to appear in two horizontal ranks on all
except for erect lead shoots.
Taxus Wallichiana:

7. It is dioecious, with the
male and female cones
on separate plants; the
seed cone is highly
modified, berry-like, with
a single scale developing
into a soft, juicy red aril 1
cm diameter, containing a
single dark brown seed 7
mm long. The pollen
cones are globose, 4 mm
diameter, produced on
the undersides of the
shoots in early spring.

8. Dactylorhiza hatagirea is a species of orchid
generally found growing in the Himalayas, from
Pakistan to SE Tibet, at altitudes of 2,800–4,000
metres (9,200–13,100 ft). It is locally called 'Salam
Panja' or 'Hatta Haddi'. It is an erect perennial herb
with long flowering stems. The plant is well known for
its medicinal value.
The Juice extracted from tuber is used as tonic and
also used for the treatment of pyorrhea (inflammation
of the gum & teeth). Root paste is externally applied
as poultice on cuts and wounds and extract is given
in intestinal disorders. The term Hatta Haddi is
probably coined because it is used for treating bone
fractures .
Dactylorhiza hatagirea :

9. As it is highly traded in the
name of 'Salampanja' and found
in wild, is being unscientifically
collected for its commercial
importance. Dactylorhiza
hatagirea is native of the
Himalaya. It is found throughout
from west to east at temperate
to subalpine biocliates within
2800 – 4000 m altitude. Flowers
spotted rosy-purple in a terminal
spike, borne on a robust leafy
stem. It has palmately lobed
root tubers, grows well in moist
places, open areas, shrub land
and open meadows.

10. Western tragopan :
The male is very dark, grey and black with numerous
white spots, each spot bordered with black and deep
crimson patches on the sides and back of the neck.
The throat is bare with blue skin while the bare facial
skin is red. They have a small black occipital crest.
Females have pale brownish-grey upper parts finely
vermiculated and spotted with black, and most of the
feathers have black patches and central white
streaks.

11. Immature males resemble
females, but are larger with
longer legs and a variable
amount of black on the head
and red on neck.Males weigh
1.8–2.2 kg (4.0–4.9 lb) and
females weigh 1.25–1.4 kg
(2.8–3.1 lb).The males vary in
length from 55–60 cm (22–24
in) while the females are 48–
50 cm (19–20 in). Five
populations are known from
Kohistan, Kaghan valley,
Kishtwar, Chamba, Kullu and
an area east of the Satluj river.

12. Snow leopard :
The snow leopard (Panthera uncia syn. Uncia
uncia) is a large cat native to the mountain ranges
of Central and South Asia. It is listed as
endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species because as of 2003, the size of the global
population was estimated at 4,080–6,590 adults,
of which fewer than 2,500 individuals may
reproduce in the wild. Snow leopards inhabit
alpine and subalpine zones at elevations from
3,000 to 4,500 m (9,800 to 14,800 ft). In the
northern range countries, they also occur at lower
elevations

13. Snow leopards are slightly
smaller than the other big cats
but, like them, exhibit a range of
sizes, generally weighing
between 27 and 55 kg (60 and
121 lbs.), with an occasional large
male reaching 75 kg (165 lbs.)
and small female of under 25 kg
(55 lbs.).They have a relatively
short body, measuring in length
from the head to the base of the
tail 75 to 130 cm (30 to 50 in).
However, the tail is quite long, at
80 to 100 cm (31 to 39 in), with
only the domestic-cat-sized
marbled cat being relatively
longer-tailed.

14. Musk Deer :
Musk deer can refer to any one, or all seven, of the
species that make up Moschus, the only extant
genus of the family Moschidae. Musk deer are more
primitive than cervids, or true deer, because they lack
antlers and facial glands, and possess only a single
pair of teats, a gall bladder, a caudal gland, a pair of
tusk-like teeth and—of particular economic
importance to humans—a musk gland.Musk deer live
mainly in forested and alpine scrub habitats in the
mountains of southern Asia, notably the Himalayas.
Moschids, the proper term when referring to this type
of deer rather than one/multiple species of musk
deer, are entirely Asian in their present distribution.

15. Musk deer resemble small
deer with a stocky build, and
hind legs longer than their
front legs. They are about 80
to 100 cm (31 to 39 in) long,
50 to 70 cm (20 to 28 in) high
at the shoulder, and weigh
between 7 and 17 kg (15 and
37 lb). The feet of musk deer
are adapted for climbing in
rough terrain. Like the
Chinese water deer, a cervid,
they have no antlers, but the
males do have enlarged
upper canines, forming
sabre-like tusks.

16. Steps are being taken to intensify environmental
preservation and sustainable development in
the Himachal Pradesh region. All remaining
forests in Himachal Pradesh have been
nationalised under the supervision of the
officers like Indian forest service,Himachal
Forest Service and seasoned Range/Dy.Range
Forest Officers. Felling of trees and sale of
timber is now controlled by the State Forest
Corporation, and an Enforcement Organisation
has been established to prevent the illegal
felling of trees and smuggling of timber. Hunting
has also been restricted.

17. A World Bank assisted
Social Forestry Project
has been launched. The
aim of the project is to
plant more trees for fuel,
fodder, and timber to
meet the basic
requirements of the local
people, thus avoiding
depletion of the old
growth forests. The
deforested Kandi areas
are also being
reafforested in another
project financially
assisted by the World

18. Himachal Pradesh is famous for its abundant
natural beauty. After the war between Nepal and
Britain, also known as the Anglo-Gorkha War
(1814–1816), the British colonial government came
into power. In 1950 Himachal was declared a union
territory, but after the State of Himachal Pradesh
Act 1971, Himachal emerged as the 18th state of
the Republic of India. Hima means snow in
Sanskrit, and the literal meaning of the state's
name is In the lap of Himalayas. It was named by
Acharya Diwakar Datt Sharma, one of the great
Sanskrit scholars of Himachal Pradesh.

19. Himachal is in the western
Himalayas. Covering an area of
55,673 square kilometres (21,495
sq mi), it is a mountainous
state.The drainage system of
Himachal is composed both of
rivers and glaciers. Himalayan
rivers criss-cross the entire
mountain chain. Himachal
Pradesh provides water to both
the Indus and Ganges basins.
The drainage systems of the
region are the Chandra Bhaga or
the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas,
the Sutlej and the Yamuna.