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Juniper bush - disappearance in the Himalayas discovered by Mountain Institute expedition

16.09.2011

During a recent expedition to Imja Lake, Nepal, in the Himalayas, scientists of the Mountain Institute (TMI) discovered evidence that Jupiter bushes are disappearing. This phenomenon is a “disaster in making”, which will cause extreme problems to Himalayan ecosystems. The high terrain surrounding the lake, near the hill behind the village of Dingboche, that is traditionally covered with juniper , is now bare. Juniper bushes are one of the few plants that can thrive at these heights, and, in turn they help hold the soil together. The expedition registered on the trek to Dingboche that several cliffs are scoured by recent landslides. Much of the juniper bushes have been cut down for firewood, due to an increased need for fuel in order to feed the hundreds of tourists passing through Dingboche during the trekking season (in Khumbu, Nepal). Juniper bushes are extremely slow-growing and it will take decades before the slope is covered again, if ever.