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CONTEXTS WILDLIFE
Wildlife Nowhere in the world is there a transition of flora and fauna so abrupt as the one between the Terai and the Himalayan crest. In a distance of as little as 60km, the terrain passes from steaming jungle through monsoon rainforest and rhododendron highlands to glacial valleys and the high-altitude desert of the Himalayan rain shadow. As a result, Nepal can boast an astounding diversity of life, from rhinos to snow leopards.
Flora Nepal’s vegetation is largely determined by altitude and can be grouped into three main divisions. The lowlands include the Terai, Churia Hills and valleys up to about 1000m; the midlands extend roughly from 1000m to 3000m; and the Himalayas from 3000m to the upper limit of vegetation (typically about 5000m). Conditions vary tremendously within these zones, however: south-facing slopes usually receive more moisture, but also more sun in their lower reaches, while certain areas that are less protected from the summer monsoon – notably around Pokhara – are especially wet. In general, rainfall is higher in the east, and a greater diversity of plants can be found there. The Terai Most of what little lowland forest remains in the Terai consists of sal, a tall, straight tree much valued for its wood – a factor which has caused its catastrophic decline outside protected areas. Sal prefers well-drained soils and the purest stands were once found along the Bhabar, the sloping alluvial plain at the base of the foothills; in the lower foothills, stunted specimens are frequently lopped for fodder. In spring, its creamcoloured flowers give off a heady jasmine scent. Other species sometimes associated with sal include saj, a large tree with crocodile-skin bark; haldu, used for making dugout canoes; and bauhinia, a strangling vine that corkscrews around its victims. The wetter riverine forest supports a larger number of species, but life here is more precarious, as rivers regularly flood and change course during the monsoon. Sisu, related to rosewood, and khair, an acacia, are the first trees to colonize newly formed sandbanks. Simal, towering on mangrove-like buttresses, follows close behind; also known as the silk-cotton tree, it produces bulbous red flowers in February, and in May its seed pods explode with a cottony material that is used for stuffing mattresses. Palash – the “flame of the forest” tree – puts on an even more brilliant show of red flowers in February. All of these trees are deciduous, shedding their leaves during the dry spring. Many other species are evergreen, including bilar, jamun and curry, an understorey tree with thin, pointed leaves that smell just like their name. Grasses dominate less stable wetlands. Of the fifty-plus species native to the Terai, ipi8hfBu+Fu1Tqp6g5eaALs= several routinely grow to a height of 8m. Even experts tend to pass off any tall, dense stand as “elephant grass”, because the only way to get through it is on an elephant (the most common genera are Phragmites, Saccharum, Arundo and Themeda). Most grasses reach their greatest height just after the monsoon and flower during the dry autumn months. Locals cut khar, a medium-sized variety, for thatch in winter and early spring; the official thatch-gathering season in the Terai parks (two weeks in January) is a colourful occasion, although the activity tends to drive wildlife into hiding. Fires are set in March and April to burn off the old growth and encourage tender new shoots, which provide food for game as well as livestock.
