Ecological Regions Of Pakistan

Pakistan is a land of high mountains, fertile river valleys, and inhospitable deserts.

 Situated in South Asia, Pakistan’s ecoregions are home to a wide range of flora and
fauna.
 The Indus Valley ecoregion is the only one that lies entirely in Pakistan while the
rest are shared with its neighbors such as India and Nepal.
 Major Ecosystems in Pakistan

1 Himalayan Subtropical Pine Forests

Distribution
The Himalayan subtropical pine forests ecoregion in Pakistan is classified under the Tropical and Subtropical
Coniferous Forests Biome. This ecoregion stretches for about 3,000 km across the Himalayas through
Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bhutan.
Flora and Fauna
The dominant pine species is the chir, pine ( Pinux roxburghii). The trees in this
ecoregion are widely spaced, and fire is a common occurrence in the forests. The
burnt slopes in the region are home to abundant grass species such and shrub
species including Rubus and Berberis.

Rainfall

The eastern part receives more rainfall from monsoon winds from the Bay of Bengal. Fauna
in the region do not exhibit a high level of endemism and includes 120 mammal species such
as the barking deer, goral, and yellow-throated marten. The ecoregion has been severely
degraded through agriculture and deforestation.
Serious threats to the subtropical pine forests :

Logging and cultivation in the Himalayan forests has push Rhinos, Tigers, Leopards and
many other animals to extinction. Large portion of the forests in the region are being cut
at the higher rate. Species of various plants and animals would soon disappear if proper
conservation steps are nor taken immediately. Than the agricultural plots around the
forests are serious threats to the various natural habitats of the animals.

Nearly two third of the ecoregion has been cleared or degraded, however, several large patches of
forests remain in the extreme western part of the ecoregion. The degraded forest needs to be
rehabilitated and remaining need to be protected to ensure the survival of remain sub-populations
of priority species such as Black Bear.

The ecoregion has been a hub of timber mafia, and further provides the fuelwood needs of the
communities.
 Indus Valley Desert biome
DISTRIBUTION
 Mostly located in ‘Sindh Sagar Doab’
 Thal desert

The Indus Valley Desert is an almost

uninhabited desert ecoregion of northern Pakistan.
Location and description
The Indus Valley desert covers an area of 19,501
square kilometers (7,529 sq mi) in northwestern
Punjab Province between the Chenab and Indus
rivers. The Indus Valley Desert is drier and less
hospitable than the
northwestern thorn scrub forests that surround it
with temperatures ranging from freezing in winter
to extremely hot (more than 45 °C (113 °F)) in
summer with only 600–800 mm (20–30 in) of
rainfall per year.
Climate
The Indus Valley Desert ecoregion is classified in the Deserts and shrublands Biome. The
ecoregion lies in the Indus Valley in Pakistan. The desert is almost inhospitable with annual
rainfall ranging a mere 640 to 760 mm. Temperatures recorded in the summer are over 45
degrees Celsius.
Flora and fauna
Shrubs are the most common vegetation, with the most common species being the Prosopis.

32 mammal species have been identified in the region

including caracal, Indian leopard, hyena, and Indian wolf.
The ecoregion boasts 190 bird species, although none is
endemic to the ecoregion. The ecoregion receives less
human influence than other ecoregions due to the
extreme conditions.
Hunting of the mammal species is, however, a major
threat.
 Threats and preservation
Like the nearby Thar Desert the Indus Valley desert has little
farming or grazing due to its hard climate and therefore the
natural habitats are almost intact. However hunting still goes on
and is a threat to caracals, wolves and other mammals.

Adult Striped hyena.

Indian wolf roaming in desert.

Red-necked falcon, one the bird species

found in Indus Valley Desert.
Indus River-Delta- Arabian Sea Mangroves

Distribution
The Indus River-Delta-Arabian Sea mangroves ecoregion is
classified in the Mangrove Biome. This mangrove ecoregion
lies on the Arabian Sea coastline of the Sindh Province in
Pakistan.

Climate ( recall coastal climate zone)

Rainfall in the region averages between 100 and 500 mm in
the months of July to September from Monsoon and tropical
cyclone. Summer temperatures recorded are as high as 50
degrees Celsius.
.
Mangrove trees are the dominant flora, with the common species being the gray mangroves
alongside red, black, and Indian mangroves.
The mangroves support a rich undergrowth of saplings. The mangroves are an important
breeding ground for fish and prawns.
The ecoregion is also a significant avifauna migration point, and water birds such as flamingos
and pelicans inhabit the region.
Threats
Extensive irrigation, agriculture, human encroachment and pollution have been identified as
major threats to the ecoregion’s sustainability
SEA INTRUSION: The biggest of all is reduction in fresh water inflow that
has caused major ecological changes, like sea moving into delta channels.
The quantity of the Indus outflow to the sea has progressively been
reducing, particularly after the construction of more barrages, dams and
link canals. Erosion and degradation of the delta have caused shrinkage of
the extent and consequent seawater intrusion has resulted in reduction in
biodiversity.

POLLUTION: It is another major threat to the Indus Delta. Karachi, being

the largest city of the country and having a population of 13 million,
produces 50,505 cubic metres sewage per day. It is in addition to the
discharge from over 600 industrial units. The industrial units release
687,050 cubic metres effluents daily — 80 per cent of them is untreated.
Being the port city, Karachi harbour and Port Qasim have shipping and
fishing traffic rush. Oil discharge from ships pollutes the sea water and
causes a great damage to the flora and fauna. The major effects of pollution
on the Indus Delta are degradation of water quality, habitat loss, localized
eutrophication, metal accumulation in fish and shrimps.

To deal with the situation, WWF-Pakistan has initiated a project on the conservation of
mangroves at three sites — Sandspit in Karachi, and Sonmiani and Jiwani in Balochistan.
Thar Desert Ecosystem

Distribution

The Thar Desert ecoregion is

classified in the Deserts as shrub
lands Biome. The ecoregion lies in
the Thar Desert, found both in
Pakistan and India.

Climate ( recall arid climate zone)

Little rainfall is recorded from July to
September, ranging between 100 to
500 mm. Sand dunes, rock forms,
and salt-lake bottoms are some of
the landforms found in the region.
Scrub species such as Acacia and
Crotalaria and grasses such as and
Cyprus are common vegetation in
the region.
Flora and fauna
Several mammal species have adapted to the extreme conditions including the desert
fox, the endangered blackbuck, caracal, and the Indian wild ass.
141 bird species have been identified in the region including the great Indian bustard,
tawny eagle, and Falcon.

The desert is densely populated and overgrazing and the introduction of alien species
have been identified as some of the threats to the ecoregion.

The Nara Desert Wildlife National park and the Rann of Kutch Wildlife National park are
some of the conservation reserves in the region.
Threats
Global warming is increasing the incidence of drought,
which dries up water holes. Higher temperatures may
produce an increasing number of wildfires that alter
desert landscapes by eliminating slow-growing trees and
shrubs and replacing them with fast-growing grasses.

Irrigation used for agriculture may in the long term lead to salt
levels in the soil that become too high to support plants.
Grazing animals can destroy many desert plants and animals.
Potassium cyanide used in gold mining may poison wildlife.

Off-road vehicles, when used irresponsibly, can cause

irreparable damage to desert habitats. Oil and gas production
may disrupt sensitive habitat. And nuclear waste may be
dumped in deserts, which have also been used as nuclear testing
grounds.
 Major climatic Zones of Pakistan
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and mild to chilly
winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents, generally between latitudes 25° and 35°
and are located poleward from adjacent tropical climates. While many subtropical climates tend to be located at or
near coastal locations, in some cases they extend inland.

This climate features mean temperatures in the coldest month between 0 °C (32 °F) (or −3 °C (27 °F)) and 18 °C (64 °F) and
mean temperatures in the warmest month 22 °C (72 °F) or higher. However, while some climatologists have opted to describe
this climate type as a "humid subtropical climate",

Rainfall often shows a summer peak, especially where monsoons are well developed, as in South Asia). Other areas have a more
uniform or varying rainfall cycles, but consistently lack any predictably dry summer months. Most summer rainfall occurs
during thunderstorms that build up due to the intense surface heating and strong subtropical sun angle.

In Pakistan, the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, as well as the city of Swabi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, feature this
weather pattern.
Pakistan lies in the temperate zone. The climate is
generally arid, characterized by hot summers and
cool or cold winters, and wide variations between
extremes of temperature at given locations. There
is little rainfall. These generalizations should not,
however, obscure the distinct differences existing
among particular locations. For example, the
coastal area along the Arabian Sea is usually
warm, whereas the frozen snow-covered ridges of
the Karakoram Range and of other mountains of
the far north are so cold year round that they are
only accessible by world-class climbers for a few
weeks in May and June of each year.

Pakistan has are four seasons: a cool, dry winter

from December through February; a hot, dry
spring from March through May; the summer rainy
season, or southwest monsoon period, from June
through September; and the retreating monsoon
period of October and November. The onset and
duration of these seasons vary somewhat according
to location.
 Mediterranean climates

Dry Summer Subtropical or Mediterranean climates occur

generally between 30° and 42° north and south, on the western
sides of landmasses. This climate has warm to hot summers and
short mild winters; however, seasonal rainfall is the opposite of
that of the humid subtropical type, with a winter or cool season
rainfall peak being typical, and summer as drier season. These
climates occur near the rimlands of the Mediterranean Sea,
Primary Characteristics Of The Mediterranean Climate

The Mediterranean climate is characterized by dry and hot

summer and cold and rainy winter.

Most parts of the Mediterranean climate zone experiences mild

winters and warm summer with the temperatures varying
significantly between the different regions of the climatic zone.