The dry alpine scrub is the uppermost limit of scrub xerophytic, dwarf shrubs, over 3,500 meters above sea level and found in the dry zone. Juniper, honeysuckle, Artemisia, etc. are important species. These forests are found in both the main Himalayan regions and the trans-Himalayan barren freezing deserts representing the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, and Arunachal Pradesh. In shaded depressions and along streams generated by snow meltwaters, the scrub thrives. Xerophytic and dwarf shrubs characterize this ecosystem.
Charactrerstics:
- Altitudes ranging between 2,900 to 3,500.
- The sub-alpine forests occur in lower alpine scrub and grasslands.
- It is a mixture of coniferous and broad-leaved trees in which the coniferous trees attain a height of about 30 m while the broad-leaved trees reach only 10 m.
- Fir, spruce, rhododendron, etc. are important species.
- Xerophytic and dwarf shrubs characterize this ecosystem
Climatic Conditions
- Dry arctic conditions prevail, with snowfall lasting for 5 to 6 months each year.
- The annual rainfall is usually less than 370 millimeters.
- Nutrients are scarce in the soil.
- Summer temperatures average between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius.
- Winter temperatures are typically considerably below freezing.
Dry Alpine Scrub
Aldo read : Moist Alpine Scrub
