Table 1.

The description of the five physiographic regions in Nepal mentioning altitude, climate, vegetation type, and bear species association

Physiographic region	Elevation (m.a.s.l.)	Climate	Vegetation cover	Bear species association
Terai	Below 300 m	Tropical and sub-tropical	Dominated by Shorea robusta (Sal), Acacia catechu	Preferred by sloth bears, characterized by grasslands and dense sal forests
Siwalik (Churia/lower hills)	301–1000 m	Sub-tropical	Shorea robusta, Acacia catechu, Alnus nepalensis	Transitional habitat for sloth bears and some Asiatic black bears
Mid-hills (Middle Mountain)	1000–3000 m	Sub-tropical at lower altitudes, cool at higher elevations	Alnus nepalensis, Castanopsis spp., Rhododendron spp.	Habitat for Asiatic black bears, diverse vegetation ranging from sub-tropical to temperate forests
High mountain (Mahabharat)	3000–5000 m	Cold temperate	Pinus spp., Rhododendron spp.	Preferred by Asiatic black bears and brown bears in colder, forested areas
Himalayas (High Himalayas)	Above 5000 m	Alpine to tundra	Juniperus–Rhododendron association, alpine scrub	Critical habitat for brown bears, consisting mainly of alpine meadows and barren terrain