Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary
The Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as the Karakoram (Nubra Shyok) Wildlife Sanctuary or the Karakoram (Saichen Shyok) Wildlife Sanctuary is a high altitude wildlife sanctuary located in the easternmost reaches of the Karakoram range in Leh district, in the Indian union territory of Ladakh.[1] It was established in 1987 and covers an area of about 5,000 square kilometres (500,000 ha).[2] It is an important wildlife sanctuary due to being one of the few places in India with a migratory population of the Chiru or Tibetan Antelope.
| Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary | |
|---|---|
| Karakoram (Nubra Shyok) Wildlife Sanctuary | |
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
| Location | Leh district, Ladakh, India |
| Coordinates | 34°43′N 77°26′E / 34.717°N 77.433°E |
| Area | ~ 5000 square kilometres |
| Established | 1987 |
| Governing body | Government of India |
About Edit
The Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 1987, is managed by the Wildlife Warden in Kargil, Ladakh. It measures around 5,000 square kilometres (500,000 ha). It is classified as IUCN protected area (category IV) by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. The Botanical Survey of India has called the wildlife sanctuary as an "under explored area with regards to botanical knowledge". Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary could become the "transboundary counterpart" of the Central Karakoram National Park in Gilgit Baltistan. If the Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary is linked to the Siachen Peace Park, it could become a World Heritage Site.[3]
Biodiversity Edit
Being a cold desert area, the vegetation in Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary is quite sparse. However, the ecological marginal conditions have employed some remarkable characteristics in these vegetation, which has high medicinal properties.
This Wildlife Sanctuary has been extensively surveyed by Chandra Prakash Kala for distribution of vegetation, including plants of medicinal values, across the environmental gradient and habitat types. Fifteen rare and endangered medicinal plant species have been discovered by CP Kala from this sanctuary, which are distributed over different habitat types. Arnebia euchroma, Bergenia stracheyi, Ephedra gerardiana, and Hyoscymus Niger are the threatened but medicinally important plants occur in this wildlife sanctuary.[4][5]
See also Edit
References Edit
- ^ "Protected Area Gazette Notification Database (Jammu & Kashmir)". wiienvis.nic.in. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
- ^ "Wildlife Sanctuaries". wiienvis.nic.in. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
- ^ Tallone, Giuliano (September 2003). "Siachen Peace Park: a case study for the valorisation of high mountain ecosystems" (PDF). Global Transboundary Conservation Network (www.tbpa.net). Retrieved 30 September 2020.
- ^ Chandra Prakash Kala (2000). Status and conservation of rare and endangered medicinal plants in the Indian trans-Himalaya. Biological Conservation, 93: 371-379.
- ^ Kala, Chandra Prakash (2005). Indigenous uses, population density, and conservation of threatened medicinal plants in protected areas of the Indian Himalayas. Conservation Biology, 19 (2): 368-378.