Abstract
High-altitude montane deserts are prominent in the northern part of the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region; in particular in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir in northern India, and in the Kunlun mountains and the Tibetan Plateau in China. Many of these arid, very cold deserts have elevations exceeding 3000 m, an average annual precipitation of less than 40 mm, and a high rate of evapotranspiration. The montane desert ecosystem in the HKH is extremely fragile and is threatened by global warming and anthropogenic activities. This chapter describes: (i) threats to montane deserts and their impacts; (ii) strategies to conserve montane deserts; (iii) livelihoods of the local inhabitants; and (iv) ecological restoration of montane deserts in the HKH region.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Sustainable Ecological Restoration and Conservation in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region |
| Subtitle of host publication | A Comprehensive Review |
| Publisher | CABI International |
| Pages | 222-233 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781800622562 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781800622555 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 15 Jul 2024 |
Keywords
- Anthropogenic activities
- Arid and cold montane deserts
- Artifcial grassland
- Desert conservation
- Global warming
- Livelihoods
- Water-saving irrigation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
- General Environmental Science