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Difficulty: HardState Environment, Forests, and Wildlife Sanctuaries

Consider the following statements regarding the Great Himalayan National Park located in Himachal Pradesh:

1. It protects the upper catchment areas of the Sainj, Jiwa Nal, and Tirthan rivers, which are tributaries of the Beas River.
2. It is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under natural criteria for its biodiversity conservation values.
3. The lower altitude zones of the park are predominantly dominated by tropical moist deciduous Sal (Shorea robusta) forests.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 onlyAnswer
  2. B
    2 and 3 only
  3. C
    1 and 3 only
  4. D
    1, 2 and 3

Answer

1 and 2 only
The correct evaluation recognizes that statements 1 and 2 are accurate. The Great Himalayan National Park located in the Kullu region of Himachal Pradesh protects the river catchments of the Sainj, Jiwa Nal, and Tirthan tributaries of the Beas River, and holds natural UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Statement 3 is false because the park's vegetation spans alpine meadows and temperate conifer/oak zones, not tropical Sal forests.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Evaluate Statement 1 regarding hydrological features and catchment regions
Statement 1 is correct. Great Himalayan National Park encompasses the upper catchments of the Tirthan, Sainj, Jiwa Nal, and Parvati rivers, which feed directly into the Beas River system.
River catchments define the physical boundaries and hydrology of high-altitude national parks.
2
Evaluate Statement 2 regarding international conservation designation
Statement 2 is correct. In June 2014, the Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list under natural criteria (Criterion x) for outstanding biodiversity conservation value.
UNESCO World Heritage natural designations acknowledge critical habitats for endangered species such as the Western Tragopan and Snow Leopard.
3
Evaluate Statement 3 regarding forest type classification
Statement 3 is incorrect. The elevation of the park ranges from approximately 1,500 m to over 6,000 m, hosting subtropical pine, temperate broadleaf/coniferous forests (oaks, deodar, fir), subalpine forests, and alpine meadows. Sal (Shorea robusta) is a lowland tropical moist deciduous species not found in this high-altitude Himalayan ecosystem.
Ecological zoning in mountain ranges prohibits tropical moist deciduous forest formations in high alpine regions.

Key Concept

State-specific flora, river catchments, and protected area status of Great Himalayan National Park
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Topics

State Environment, Forests, and Wildlife Sanctuaries

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