Pamir alpine desert and tundra
The Pamir alpine desert and tundra, located at the intersection of major mountain ranges including the Himalayas and Tian Shan, is a unique and biodiverse biome shared by Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. Known as the "Roof of the World," this high plateau features an average altitude of approximately 13,780 feet, with its highest peak exceeding 24,278 feet. The region is characterized by its dry climate, extreme temperature variations, and distinct topography of steep hills and expansive valleys, which contribute to its desert-like appearance.
Despite its harsh conditions, the Pamir hosts over 620 species of flora, including endemic plants adapted to the arid environment. The fauna is equally remarkable, with notable species such as the snow leopard, Marco Polo sheep, and blue sheep, many of which face threats from overgrazing and poaching. Conservation efforts are ongoing, particularly in Pamir National Park, which provides a sanctuary for wildlife.
However, the region is under pressure from various human activities, including hunting and climate change, which threatens its delicate ecosystem. These factors make the Pamir alpine desert and tundra an important area for environmental study and conservation initiatives, reflecting both its ecological significance and the challenges it faces.
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Pamir alpine desert and tundra
- Category: Grassland, Tundra, and Human Biomes.
- Geographic Location: Asia.
- Summary: This cold, dry alpine desert is rich in biodiversity, but some of its hosted animal species are endangered.
The Pamir is a high plateau located at the intersection of the world’s tallest mountains of the Himalayas, Karakoram, Hindu Kush, Kunlun, and Tian Shan regions. These mountains are sometimes referred to as the Roof of the World. The Pamir is shared by Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. Because of its geopolitical importance, it is sometimes referred to as the Pamir Knot. The biodiversity in the Pamir is high thanks to the intersection of several climates among the various mountain ranges.
With an approximate area of 97–106 square miles (250–275 square kilometers), the Pamir extends up to the Kashghar and Tarim Basin in the east, the Trans-Alai Range in the north, the Hindu Kush to the south, and Tajikistan in the west. In this way, it is a biogeographic barrier between south Asia and central Asia. Average altitude is 13,780 feet (4,200 meters), but the highest peak in the Pamir is more than 24,278 feet (7,400 meters). Topography here is defined by steep, rolling hills and vast valleys. The landscape in most areas forms a desert with crumbling mountains and somewhat barren valleys.
While it is a dry ecoregion, it is the source of several rivers in the region, including the Amu Darya and Oxus. Well-known lakes in the area include Karakul and Zorkul. Ibn Sina Peak (also known as Lenin Peak), Ismoil Somoni Peak, and Peak Korzhenevskaya are key mountains. The region also features glaciers, including the 48-mile (77-kilometer) Fedchenko Glacier, known as the longest glacier outside the polar region.
Climate is sunny and dry, with a mean annual precipitation of 2–6 inches (40–150 millimeters), ranging from cold desert to semi-desert. The area shows extreme temperature variations; it can vary from well below freezing to 50 degrees F (10 degrees C). Strong and steady winds are the norm here.
Flora
The Pamir has more than 620 floral species; these can be divided into multiple distinct ecological zones. At the lower elevations, the regime resembles a mediterranean climate. Between the lowest and highest altitudes, a lower steppe and an upper Eurasian steppe zone occur, with prickly cushion plants such as wormwoods, needles, and fescue grass. At the highest elevations are found alpine sedge meadows.
The Pamir includes characteristic central Asian plant varieties, such as Eurotia ceratoides and Acantholimon diapensioides, which are also found on the Tibetan Plateau, which resembles the Pamir ecologically but is a bit lower and warmer. The Pamir has more floral varieties than the Tibetan Plateau because of its more rugged topography. Salix pycnostachia, Comarum salesvovianum, and Dasiphora dryadanthoides are endemic, or unique to this region. The Pamir Alpine Desert and Tundra biome also shares many alpine varieties with Iran and Afghanistan, such as Arabis kokanica and Saponaria griffithiana. Its eastern extent, in China, has grassy steppe flora. Throughout its average altitude range, forb species abound; some of them have thickened stems, or caudex, as well as woody taproots, for protection against pests, temperature extremes, and arid conditions.
Fauna
Despite the Pamir’s cold and dry climate, some bird species are found here, especially around the lakes. Most notable are brown-headed gulls, bar-headed geese, and snowcocks. The western Pamir is richer in species because of its proximity to central Asia.
Several world-famous, high-altitude species are hallmarks of the Pamir. These include the snow leopard, Marco Polo sheep, blue sheep, and markhor. However, they are under increasing threat due to overgrazing and poaching.
The Siberian ibex is relatively abundant in the Pamir—as are the wolves that prey upon ibex herds. The Pamir also has some endangered species of brown bear. Most of these animals are protected in the Pamir National Park in Tajikistan, as well as the Taxkorgan Nature Reserve in China. Markhor have protected status in Pakistan, as the national animal.
Threats
Overgrazing, fuel-wood collection, hunting for meat, and killing the predators of livestock are some of the major concerns in the Pamir Alpine Desert and Tundra biome. Use of pesticides for agriculture is a more recent threat developing to jeopardize animals and the native natural environment. Climate change may impact this area through reduction of its glaciers, advanced seasonal flooding patterns, and changes to the mean temperature that will alter seed germination timing. Researchers are particularly concerned with how reduced glaciers will effect the hydrological conditions of the area. The impacts of such threats to plants in the high alpine areas are being particularly closely monitored.
In other conservation efforts, Pamir National Park occupies more than 6 million acres (2.6 million hectares), where many species take shelter and thrive in its network of intact natural habitat areas, including Lake Karakul and the Zorkul, Muzkol, and Sanglyar Refuges.
Bibliography
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Toynbee, Arnold. Between Oxus and Jumna. London: Oxford University Press, 1961.