THE HIMALAYA REGION

ALTITUDE INFLUENCES THE FLORA AND THE FAUNA IN THIS REGION. THE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS SIMILAR TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS  ARE FOUND AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE HIMALAYAS.APART FROM THE ECOLOGICAL CHANGES DUE TO ALTITUDE IN THE HIMALAYAS, THERE IS A MARKED EAST-WEST VARIATION DUE TO THE WEST- WARD DECREASE IN THE MONSOON RAINFALL. THE WESTERN HIMALAYAS HAVE LOW BUT HEAVIER SNOWFALL AS COMPARED TO THE EASTERN HIMALAYAS WHILE RECEIVE MUCH MORE RAINFALL AND SNOWFALL ONLY IN THE VERY HIGH ALTITUDES. THE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS OF THE LOWER ALTITUDES OF THE EASTERN HIMALAYAS RESEMBLE THAT OF THE TROPICAL RAIN FOREST. THE TEMPERATE REGION IN THE EASTERN REGION STARTS  ABOVE 2745 METERS AS AGAINST 1500 METERS IN THE WESTERN HIMALAYAS.