ABSTRACT
High-altitude environment can be defined as environment above forest line at an altitude of 2,500–3,000 m above the mean sea level. It is only above this altitude range that significant physiological, structural, and ecological adaptations are observed in plant – also in humans – which can be distinctly correlated with altitude. Extremely low temperature and meagre precipitation are characteristic signatures of high-altitude climate. Besides Ladakh, similar high-altitude cold and arid climate also prevails in parts of Uttar Kashi, Chamoli, Pithoragarh districts in Uttarakhand, Spiti area of Lahaul & Spiti district and Sumdo area of Kinnaur district and Pangi of Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh, and in some part of north Sikkim. The area of arid temperate region in India is 79,278 km2, which is nearly 4.72% of the total area of country. Nonetheless, the major portion of Indian cold arid (68,321 km2) constitutes Ladakh. In Himachal Pradesh it comes out to be about 20% of the state area.
