Flora and Fauna In Uttarakhand

Himalayan state of Uttarakhand is a rich repository of flora & fauna. The flora & fauna in Uttarakhand is showcased at its best in Valley of Flowers in Joshimath, Jim Corbett National Park, Rajaji Wildlife Sanctuary, Nanda Devi National Park etc. One of the things that makes trekking in the Himalayas so particularly delightful is surely the constant change in the character of the plants and birds that one meets as one climbs higher and higher, and passes from one zone of altitude to another. The controlling effect of mountain chains and hill ranges on local climate and vegetation, and, therefore, on the distribution of animal life, is well-known. The Himalayas stretches across our northern frontier like a gigantic wall, cutting off the Indian plains of the Gangetic valley from the high plateau of Tibet and Central Asia. They bar the northward passage of the moisture laden wind currents, driven up seasonally from the south-west through the Indian Sea and Bay of Bengal to the land beyond. This character offers an outstanding example of the role that mountain ranges play in the character and local distribution of animal life and vegetation. Botanists have long remarked upon the general similarity of the flora of the higher slopes of such widely separated mountain ranges as the Himalayas, the Nilgiris and other hills of south-west India.