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Title: Trees in Himalaya losing foliage, says experts
Source:Deccan Herald
Date:17 October 2013

Trees and plants in the Himalayas are losing their foliage cover due to global warming, which has aggravated since mid-1990s, conservationists have warned. The effect of “browning” -- loss of canopy cover (opposite to greening) – is visible up to 4000 mt elevation in the Himalayas where the tree line ends. The browning would impact on lower level trees like oak, coniferous trees, Alpine scrubs such as juniper and rhododendron and even flowering plants at upper reaches. However, the higher one goes up, browning or loss of foliage becomes less evident. This was observed when researchers studied tropical mountains including the Himalayas using satellite images between 1982 and 2006. The satellite data gathered over a quarter of a century suggests greening was on the rise till 1995, when it nosedived sharply and showed no sign of return. The temperature was on the rise all along.




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