Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, located in the Himalayan Mountains in the northern part of the country, includes as core areas the Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks, which are one World Heritage site.
Nanda Devi National Park has remained more or less intact because of its inaccessibility. The Valley of Flowers National Park is renowned for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and outstanding natural beauty.
Together they encompass a unique transition zone between the mountain ranges of the Zanskar and Great Himalaya.
The major forest types of the reserve are temperate. A few important species are silver weed and orchids like latifolie and rhododendron.
The biosphere reserve has a rich fauna, for example the snow leopard, black bear, brown bear, musk deer, snow- cock, golden eagle and black eagle.
Major threats to the ecosystem are the collection of endangered plants for medicinal use, forest fires and poaching.
