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The
Tibetan Plateau is one of the few remaining uncharted territories on this
planet. Due to the wide variety of different terrain, as well as its largely
unpopulated condition, there are an immense diversity of flora and fauna
in this area. There are roughly 530 species of birds, 190 species of mammals,
40 species of reptiles, 30 species of amphibians, and 2300 species of
insects throughout the plateau. The numerous salt lakes draw migratory
birds from Siberia, including the Black-Necked Crane. There are numerous
species of mammals that graze the open grasslands, including: gazelle,
wild ass, wild goat, wild yak, blue sheep, urial, and ibex. There are
also wolves, foxes, many birds of prey like the lammergeier, griffon,
and golden eagle, and numerous species of waterfowl. In southern Tibet,
in the high snow regions, there are also brown bear, red panda, and the
rarely glimpsed snow leopard. In lower forested areas you may find black
bear, clouded leopard, and terai langur. In some southeastern areas affected
by the moisture of the monsoons can also be found wild boar, lynx, jackals,
wild dogs, and spotted cats. In specific regions, there are lesser panda,
the ling yang antelope, wild and bighorn sheep, mountain antelope, musk
deer, and mountain lizards.
There are a number of wildlife reserves throughout the Tibetan Plateau,
including the Napa Nature Reserve, and the Kekexili National Natural Reserve.
These exist to help try to protect this special diversity of species,
many of which are, unfortunately, endangered due to unrestricted hunting
in the past. Add to this the plant life associated with the widely varied
landforms of the Tibetan Plateau, with marsh meadows, alpine deserts,
grasslands, wetlands, sand dunes, river basins, forested gorges, farming
regions, saline lakes, and high mountain slopes, and there are enough
flora to satisfy any nature lover's needs. |
