Remarks on the main forest and shrub communities of the Langtang Khela Valley (Langtang Range, Central Himalayas, Nepal)

During the observations carried out in the Langtang Khela Valley (Langtang National Park) six mains, easy to recognise, plant communities were recorded. Their distribution depends mainly on two most important factors – altitude and the level of anthropopressure. There are three natural forest communities in the Langtang Khela Valley: the moist temperate laurel-oak forest (Litsea-Quercus leucotrichophora community – 1800-2600 m a.s.l., in the deep valley of the Langtang Khela), dry mixed temperate forest (Pinus-Rhododendron arboreum community – 1800-ca 3000 m a.s.l., on dry rocky slopes) and moist mixed coniferous forest (Tsuga dumosa-Quercus semecarpifolia community – 2400-3400 m a.s.l., in the upper part of the valley). The two kinds of shrub communities (temperate Elscholtzia-Colquohinia coccinea and subalpine Rhododendron-Cotoneaster affinis community) and subalpine meadows up to 3600 m probably have anthropogenic origin.