WII2025-05-052023https://digitalrepository.wii.gov.in/handle/123456789/574The Shyok valley forms the north-eastern edge of KWS, comprises of Galwan valley and Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) plains situated between Siachen and Karakorum mountain ranges. The cold arid landscape of the Shyok valley is characterised by high intensity of solar radiations, tremendous ruggedness of terrain, seasonality in resources, and low productivity. The entire area is steep semi-arid habitat, long riverine habitat, glaciers and towards the north the plains habitat. The remoteness and tough terrain support a unique arid flora and fauna found in this region. Due to the its harsh and cold climatic and topographic conditions, vegetation cover is sparse, along the river the vegetation cover is sometimes dense. This riverine habitat along the Shyok river provide crucial habitats for small mammals and birds. The vegetation in the valley comprises of mixed scrub steppe, sparse vegetation cover, plantation in the lower part of the valley, herbaceous, sedge meadows and grasslands in the north, and riverine vegetation. The dominant plant species in this area were, Myricaria spp, Artemisia spp. Eurotia spp, Lonicera spp, Kobresia spp, Nepeta spp, and, Ephedra spp. The valley is home to endangered faunal species, such as the Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii) which is endemic to this region in the entire landscape, snow leopard (Panthera uncia), Himalayan/Tibetan wolf (Canis lupus chanco), and other important species. The valley is also home to many bird species (Bhatnagar and Wangchuk, 2001). Military and para-military presence has been predominant since the 1960s. Due to the strategic importance of the area the defence forces have deployed infrastructure, training camps, roads and firing ranges within this valley. The purpose of this study for Biodiversity Impact Assessment (BIA) was to identify, evaluate and report the potential wildlife effects of Military activities in the MTFFR. This process included identification of mitigative measures that may be undertaken to reduce or eliminate potential adverse effects, where appropriateenBiodiversity impact assessmentMandal thang field firing rangeLadakhAnthropogenic impact on wildlifeMilitary activitiesTechnical Report