Nepal. An introduction to the natural history, ecology and human environment in the Himalayas. A companion to the Flora of Nepal. 2015. Many col. pls. Approx. 600 p. Hardcover.

The Himalayas are Earth's greatest mountain range, not because they include its highest peaks, but also because of the extent of their high altitude area. They have profound effects on Asias climate, biodiversity and human cultures, but in many ways remain poorly known. Fundamental questions which are still to be fully answered include the timing of the formation of the High Himalayas, how this has affected the evolution of biodiversity in the region, how severely the region has been impacted by humankind and what the future holds as global climates change.Nepal, lying in the centre of the Himalayan Arc, is a microcosm for the whole range and this volume addresses all aspects of the Himalayas environment. It includes contributions from more than forty international experts covering the regions geology, geomorphology, hydrology, climate, soils, evolutionary biology, ecology, palynology, ethnobotany, anthropology and conservation. The discussion of the Himalayas biodiversity is not limited to higher plants, but also includes the ferns, bryophytes and lichens, as well as considering fungi and recent research into the evolution of thefauna. This review is a statement of our current understanding of a region, and presents new data and new perspectives, but also highlights the gaps in our knowledge that require further research. It is heavily referenced throughout, and will act as a source book for environmental researchers working within Nepal and in its neighbouring countries.-Contents: Regional Setting: Nepal in the Himalayas (Georg Miehe, Narendra Raj Khanal) / Landscapes of Nepal (Georg Miehe)/Geology (Mike Searle)/ Climate and Weather (Jürgen Böhner, Georg Miehe, Sabine Miehe, Laszlo Nagy )/ Rivers, Lakes and Glaciers (Markus Konz, Nadine Konz, Ludwig Braun, Marcus Nüsser)/ Himalayan Landforms and Processes (Georg Miehe, Johannes T. Weidinger)/ Soils (Rupert Bäumler)/ Flora (Georg Miehe, Erik Welk, Jürgen Kluge, Colin A. Pendry, Mark F. Watson, Keshab R. Rajbhandari, Joachim Schmidt, Lars Opgenoorth, Sangeeta Rajhandary, David G. Long, Ulrik Søchting, Patrick Kuss, Richard Ree, Barbara Gravendeel, Abishkar Subedi)/ Mycota (Gerhard Kost, Mahesh Kumar Adhikari)/ Fauna Himalayan Patterns of Diversity (Jochen Martens)/ People (Martin Gaenszle, Mark Turin, Will Tuladhar-Douglas, Ram B. Chhetri)/ Ethnobotany (Sangeeta Rajbhandary, Daniel Winkler)/ Land Use (Dietrich Schmidt-Vogt, Georg Miehe)/ Environmental History (Georg Miehe, Roland Zech, George van Driem, Stephen Blackmore, Khum Paudayal, Rie Fujii))/ Ecological transects (Georg Miehe)/Vegetation Ecology (Georg Miehe, Sabine Miehe, Jürgen Böhner, Rupert Bäumler, Suresh K. Ghimire, Khem Bhattarai, Ram P. Chaudhary, Mahendra Subedi, Pramod K. Jha, Colin A. Pendry)/Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Area Management in Nepal (Siddhartha Bajra Bajracharya, Ram Prasad Chaudhary,Govinda Basnet)