North East India

Rain Forests of North East
India’s tropical rain forests along its western coast belong to one of the 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world. The rain forests of the Eastern Himalayas are also part of the larger Himalayan biodiversity hotspot that straddles across the entire Himalayan range. Both the forests are catchment areas of almost all the rivers that drain the Indian Peninsula. Besides maintaining the soil and water levels all along the course of the rivers, these forests are a rich reserve of endemic medicinal plants and wild life.

The rain forests are believed to be living laboratories supporting multifaceted ecological, biological and evolutionary processes.

North East India’s Rich Biodiversity
Flora
North East India, spanning 2,62,379 sq km is an intervening zone between Peninsula India and the Himalayas, the zone along which the Angara Land met the Gondwana Land. Throbbing with a rich plant life, India’s north eastern states harbour the largest variety of biomes or ecological communities. The diversity includes the expansive flood plains of the high volume Brahmaputra and the high rainfall zones of Cherrapunjee and Mawsynram, against the backdrop of the world’s third highest mountain, Kanchendzonga in Sikkim Each of the states in the North East – Assam, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram have rich reserves of endemic flora and fauna.

The 1, 67,000 sq. km of forest cover sustains almost 7500 species of flowers, with Sikkim alone harboring 5000 species. One-third of the flora is endemic to the region. What sets the flora of the north east apart from other regions is the presence of several primitive flowering species. Besides, gene pools of some citrus fruits, rice, banana, orchids and mango are ascribed to this region. The pitcher plant also has its roots in Meghalaya, while the Siroy lily has its origins in Manipur. Orchid varieties in North India number around 700, of the 1300 known in India. Arunachal Pradesh is reported to have 550 species alone, while Sikkim has 600.

The higher slopes of the Sikkim Himalayas harbour 190 wild plants that are safely edible, while 60 of Tripura’s plants are used in cooking. Manipur has 430 medicinal plants in its forests. The Eastern Himalayas are home to 70 of the 82 species of rhododendrons in the entire Himalayan range, while 63 of the 136 species of bamboo in India are found in the North East alone. Cooler climes on the higher slopes of the Eastern Himalayas are home to 28 types of conifers, with some very rare gymnosperms being reported in Kamrup, Khasi, Jaintia and Naga Hills and the Barak Valley in Manipur.

The forests of North East India are known to support a range of saphrophytes, or plants that survive on other decaying plants. Some rare parasitic and polyendemic plants have also been recorded here. Varieties of fern number around 500, some with very exceptional features. Mosses and lichens are abundant too, playing a vital role in protecting the soil and ensuring the recycling of water and nutrients.

Fauna of the North East
The Leaf Deer was the latest discovery made in 2003 in the forests of Arunachal Pradesh, belonging to the barking deer family. Of the primates, 11 species have been reported in the region. The Hoolock ape, found sparingly across the north eastern states is an endangered species, while the Golden Langur finds a safe haven in the Chakrashila hills in Dhubri, Assam. Similarly, seven primates are sheltered in the protected forests of Tripura. The Stumped-tailed Macaque, Northern Pigtailed Macaque, the Capped Langur the Nepal Langur and the Slow Loris are some of the other threatened members of the primate family found in the forests of the North East.

The tiger, leopard, snow leopard and the clouded leopard prowl the deep forests of Arunachal. The clouded leopard is not found beyond the territories of the Eastern Himalayas. The tiger population is unfortunately shrinking, though the leopard is still found in reasonable numbers. The Snow Leopard is confined to the upper Himalayas. The Marbled Cat, Golden Cat, Fishing Cart, Jungle Cat, Yellow Throated Marten Ferret Badger, Hog badger and Eurasian Otter also inhabit the north eastern forests. Of the viverrid family, the species reported here are the Small Indian Civet, Large Indian Civet, Common Palm Civet, Himalayan Palm Civet, Binturong and the Spotted Linshang.

The North Eastern states offer hospitable conditions for all the varieties of the bear found in India, though they are being threatened by poachers. The wild dogs of Sikkim are facing a similar fate. The region is also losing out on its once large elephant and water buffalo population. Besides, the numbers of the Swamp Deer, Serow, Goral, Red Goral and Pygmy Hog are being keenly watched by conservationists. Kaziranga, Pabitora and Orang shelters the great one-horned rhino. Manipur is home to the rare Sangai deer. The alpine forests of the Middle Himalayas are home to the yak, Tibetan Wild Ass, Markhor, Great Tibetan Sheep and the Blue Sheep, while the dolphins reside in the Brahmaputra River

Birds of the North East
Some of the rarest birds inhabit the North East., with the Kaziranga National Park and Arunachal Pradesh home to 400 and 665 species respectively Within the rainforests, babblers and laughing thrushes are a sizeable number. The Brown capped Laughing Thrush is local to the oak trees and rhododendrons in the North Cachar Hills, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.

The Buff-throated Partridge restricts its movements to the rhododendrons and rocky gorges in central Arunachal Pradesh. Manas National Park is host to a thriving population of the Bengal Florican, while the Namdapha National Park has an exclusive number of the rare fish eagle. Across the plains of Assam are found the Black Breasted Parrotbill, the Marsh Babbler and the Beautiful Nuthatch.

At least 22 species of birds in the North east are confined to the region, with no presence outside the ecosystem .Of these, 19 are unique to the North East alone, such as the Sclater’s Monal and Blyth’s Tragopan of the pheasant family. In the duck family, the falling numbers of the White Winged Wood Duck, the Greater Adjutant, and the Spot billed Pelican, the Lesser Adjutant and the Pale capped Pigeon are a cause of concern to conservationists. Other rare birds include the Jerdon’s Baza, Burmese Hobby Rufous-vented Prinia and the Pied Falconet.