Bhutan - Lindsay Brown [69]
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The two plants that produce the ingredients in doma (betel nut) grow in the duars in southern Bhutan. The nut comes from the khair, a palm, and the leaf used to wrap it comes from the betel-leaf vine.
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TEMPERATE
The temperate zone (1800-3500m) is a region of great diversity. The tropical vegetation of the lower zones gives way to dark forests of oak, birch, maple, magnolia and laurel. On most hills, the sunny south side is forested with broadleaf species such as oak, and the damp, shady north side with rhododendron and conifers, particularly blue pine. Spring is the time to see the magnificent red- or cream-flowering rhododendrons of Bhutan. In the autumn you will see the mauve or pinkish blooms of the Himalayan wild cherry.
SUBALPINE & ALPINE
Between the tree line and the snow line at about 5500m are low shrubs, dwarf rhododendrons, Himalayan grasses and flowering herbs. Junipers are also found in a dwarfed form at altitudes over 4000m. Their distinctive foliage, short prickly needles and fleshy, berry-like fruit, is unmistakable.
As the snows begin to melt at the end of the long winter, the high-altitude grazing lands are carpeted with a multitude of wildflowers, which remain in bloom until early summer. After the onset of the monsoon, in July, a second and even more vibrant flowering occurs, which extends until the end of the monsoon in late August. Some of the varieties found at these higher elevations include anemones, forget-me-nots, dwarf irises, dwarf rhododendrons, primulas, delphiniums and ranunculus.
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NATIONAL PARKS & PROTECTED AREAS
There are four national parks, four wildlife sanctuaries and one nature reserve, which together constitute about 26% of the country, or 10,758 sq km. In 1999 an additional 3800 sq km was designated as a network of biological corridors linking all nine protected areas.
All but three of the protected areas encompass regions in which there is a resident human population. Preserving the culture and fostering local tradition is part of the mandate of Bhutan’s national-park system. The government has developed zoning policies and an integrated conservation and development program to allow people living within a protected area to farm, graze animals, collect plants and cut firewood.
Bhutan established its national-park system to protect important ecosystems, and for the most part they have not been developed as tourist attractions. Apart from one or two exceptions, you won’t find the kind of facilities you may normally associate with national parks, such as entrance stations, camping grounds and visitor centres. In many cases you won’t even be aware that you are entering or leaving a national park.
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In the international market Cordyceps sinensis (caterpillar fungus) can fetch up to US$10,000 a kilogram!
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Jigme Dorji National Park
Jigme Dorji National Park is the largest protected area in the country, encompassing an area of 4329 sq km. It protects the western parts of Paro, Thimphu and Punakha Dzongkhags (districts) and almost the entire area of Gasa Dzongkhag. Habitats in the park range from subtropical areas at 1400m to alpine heights at 7000m. The park management has to cope with the needs of both lowland farmers and seminomadic yak herders, and three of the country’s major trekking routes pass through the park. Villagers are also allowed to harvest a wide variety of indigenous plants for use in incense and traditional medicines.
The park is the habitat of several endangered species, including the takin, snow leopard, blue sheep, tiger, musk deer, red panda, Himalayan black bear and serow. Other mammals to be found are leopards, wild dogs, sambars, barking deer, gorals,