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About Tso Kar Lake |
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The
Tso Kar or Tsho kar, is known for its depth and size,It is a
fluctuating salt lake located in Rapshu in the southern part
of Ladakh in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.The Tso Kar
lies 160 km south of Leh; the Leh Manali road passes 30 km
west of it. The lake is 540 km east of Srinagar, the capital
of the state. |
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Geography and Climate of Tso Kar
Lake |
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The
Tso Kar is linked by an inlet stream at its south-west end to a
small lake, Startsapuk Tso, and together they form the 9 km2
More plains pool, which is dominated by the peaks of two
mountains, Gursan (6370 m) and Thugje (6050 m). From the geology
of the More Plains, it can be concluded that the Tso Kar in
historical times ranged up to this high valley. Until a few
years ago the lake was a vital source of salt, which the Changpa
nomads used to export to Tibet. The nomadic settlement of Thugje
is situated 3 km in the north. There is a tented camp on the
west bank of the lake which provides accommodation facilities
for the tourists.
The climate is extreme in the winter due to the high altitude;
temperatures below -40°C are not uncommon. In the summer the
temperature rises above 30°C, with extreme fluctuations during
the day. Precipitation in the form of either rain or snow is
extremely rare. |
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Flora and Fauna |
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The
inlets of the Tso Kar are the basis of non-saline water;
pondweeds and basic nettles grow there, which form floating
islands of vegetation in the spring and dying off in the winter.
Sedge and huge numbers of buttercups grow on the shores of
Startsapuk Tso and of the tributaries of the Tso Kar, while
several parts of the high basin are marked by steppe vegetation
spread with tragacanth and pea bushes. The shore of Tso Kar is
partially covered with a salt crust, which keeps vegetation away
from the inflows.
Most of the resident fauna is found in its tributaries and in
Startsapuk Tso due to the salinity of the Tso Kar. There are
large breeding colonies of Brown-headed gulls and grebes, and
some Strip geese, rust geese and terns. In the environs of the
lake Black-necked Cranes and Tibetan grouse are relatively
common. The basin of the Tso Kar and the adjacent More Plains
constitute one of the most significant habitats of the kiang,
Tibetan gazelles, Tibetan wolves and foxes; there are steppe
marmots in the higher reaches. Yaks and horses are kept by the
nomads.
Currently the lake basin has no special protection, but there
are plans to include it within a national park which may be
established in the highlands of south-eastern Ladakh. |
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