Middle Brahmaputra



ID


712

Author(s)


J. Hales


Countries


Bhutan
China
India
India, Claimed by China

Major Habitat Type


Tropical and subtropical upland rivers

Drainages flowing into


Bay of Bengal


Description

Boundaries

This ecoregion encompasses the upper parts of tributaries of the middle Brahmaputra River in India, Bhutan, and China.

Justification for delineation

For Southeast Asia, delineations were determined using a bottom-up approach that employed both published and unpublished field data and expert assessment (Abell et al. 2008; Talwar & Jhingran 1992).

This ecoregion occurs in a narrow valley, which is more humid than the Himalayan Plateau. It includes several subterranean systems with endemic cave fish species and fauna adapted to high gradient streams. There is a great differentiation in fauna and endemics within each basin throughout the valley (M. Kottelat pers. comm. 2006).


References

  • Abell, Robin,M.L. Thieme,C. Revenga,M. Bryer,M. Kottelat,N. Bogutskaya,B. Coad,N. Mandrak,S.C. Balderas,W. Bussing,M.L.J. Stiassny,P. Skelton,G.R. Allen,P. Unmack,A. Naseka,R. Ng,N. Sindorf,J. Robertson,E. Armijo,J.V. Higgins,T.J. Heibel,E. Wikramanayake, (2008). "Freshwater Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Biogeographic Units for Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation" BioScience 58 (5) pp. 403-414.
  • Talwar, P. K. and A. G. Jhingran (1991). "Inland fishes of India and adjacent countries. Vol. I and II" Rotterdam, The Netherlands: A. A. Balkema.