Biodiversity Profile of Afghanistan - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP

Alpine landscape in the Wakhan Corridor, Badakhshan Province, Northern Afghanistan. The Wakhan Corridor is the site of two proposed
protected areas and a possible international “Peace Park” that encompasses neighboring areas of China, Tajikistan and Pakistan
Calliginum-Artistida Semi-Desert, Chenopodium
Rich and Amygdalus Semi-Desert communities..
8.4 Subalpine and Alpine Vegetation
Alpine. and. subalpine. vegetation. develops. at.
elevations. of. 2,800. –. 2,900. m. in. the. central.
mountains.and.between.3,000.and.3,500.m.in.the.
east..In.the.eastern.Hindu.Kush,.subalpine.vegetation.
is.dominated.by.juniper.while.in.central.Afghanistan.
it.is.largely.comprised.of.cushion.shrublands..True.
alpine.vegetation.is.generally.found.at.elevations.
>.4,000.m..The.central.Hindu.Kush.is.not.as.speciesrich.as.alpine.areas.further.to.the.east.and.north..
8.4.1 Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau
Alpine Steppe (PA1006)
This.eco-region.is.represented.in.Afghanistan.only.
on.the.south.side.of.the.Wakhan.Corridor.and.is.the.
westernmost.extension.of.an.extensive.eco-region.
in.the.Himalayas.and.Karakorum.Mountains.to.the.
east..Freitag.(1971,.1972).labels.this.eco-region.
as. a. nival. (snow-covered). zone. and. does. not.
describe.the.vegetation.
8.4.2 Pamir Alpine Desert And Tundra
(PA1014)
This.eco-region.is.represented.in.Afghanistan.only.
on. the. north. side. of. the. Wakhan. corridor. and.
is. the. southern. extension. of. the. extensive. eco-
region.through.the.Pamir.Mountains..Freitag.(1971,.
1972).labels.this.eco-region.as.a.combination.of.
the.Subalpine Thickets and Cushion Shrublands
community.and.a.nival.zone..
8.4.3 Hindu Kush Alpine Meadow
(PA1005)
This.eco-region.corresponds.to.the.eastern.and.
northern.extension.of.Freitag’s.Subalpine Knieholz-
Gesellschaften und Dornpolster-Fluren. (1971).
or. Subalpine Thickets and Cushion Shrublands
(1972).. Unlike. the. remainder. of. the. Hindu. Kush.
subalpine,.this.area.receives.enough.precipitation.
to. allow. development. of. subalpine. thickets. of.
juniper.at.3,000.m..
8.4.4 Ghorat-Hazarajat Alpine Meadow
(PA1004)
This. eco-region. corresponds. to. the. western.
extension. of. Freitag’s. Subalpine Knieholz-
Gesellschaften und Dornpolster-Fluren. (1971).
or. Subalpine Thickets and Cushion Shrublands
(1972)..Lack.of.summer.moisture.limits.vegetation.
to. woody. cushion. shrubland. species,. such. as.
Ononbrychis, Astragalus, Acantholimon, Cousinia,
Artemisia and Ephedrus..Dieterle.(1973,.in.Larsson.
1978).considers.the.original.vegetation.to.have.
been.grass.steppe,.but.centuries.of.heavy.grazing.
have.resulted.in.a.shrubland.community..Larsson.
(1978).provides.a.general.overview.of.vegetation.
and.management.issues.in.this.eco-region..
24 An Output of the National Capacity Needs Self-Assessment