Forest ecology of the Makalu-Barun National Park and Conservation Area, Nepal

Makalu-Barun National Park and Conservation Area, recently established by His Majesty's Government, Nepal, protects a broad range of Eastern Himalayan forest types, ranging from near-tropical dipterocarp monsoon forest (400 m) to subalpine conifer stands (4,000 m). Forests span five bioclimatic zones (tropical, subtropical, lower and upper temperate, and subalpine), but ecotones are poor ly defined. Below 2,000 m forests are strongly affected by subsistence agriculture, although some ecologically significant stands remain at those elevations. Above 2,000 m, a cool, humid climate suppresses agricultural activity and forests are usually extensive. An interesting transition occurs in the temperate zone from forests dominated by broadleaf evergreen (Quercus-Lauraceae) to broadleaf deciduous (Acer-Magnolia) taxa. Subalpine stands show an increased dominance by conifers (Juniperus, Abies) along a transect from outer, southern slopes to the inner valleys. Aspect is ecologically important at all elevations, but controls different ecological variables (seasonal moisture availability temperature, snow cover) at different elevations. The Makalu-Barun area exhibits the high regional diversity expected of a physiographically complex, low-latitude mountain region.