Biodiversity Profile of Afghanistan - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP

14 Afghanistan’s Endemic
Species
Afghanistan. is. not. geographically. isolated. from.
neighbouring. countries. and. consequently. has.
very.few.endemic.species..Only.seven.vertebrate.
species. are. known. to. be. endemic,. or. near.
endemic,.to.Afghanistan..Coad.(1981).suggests.
that.the.taxonomy.of.Afghan.fish.is.so.uncertain.
that.there.may.be.many.endemic.fish.species..The.
situation.for.plants.is.even.less.clear..Groombridge.
and.Jenkins.(2002).indicate.20%.of.Afghanistan’s.
vascular.plants.as.being.endemic.and.Wendelbo.
(1966). cites. 30%,. but. it. is. not. known. how. these.
estimates.were.derived..Nothing.is.known.about.
invertebrates.endemic.to.the.country.
Table.10. Species.Known.to.be.Endemic..
. . . . to.Afghanistan
Endemic Mammals
None
Endemic Birds
Afghan Snow Finch (Montifringilla
[Pyrgilauda] theresae)
Endemic Reptiles
Leviton’s Gecko (Asiocolotes levitoni)
Cyrtopodion voraginosus
Eremias aria
Point-snouted Racerunner (Eremias
afghanistanica)
Endemic Amphibians
Paghman Mountain Salamander
(Batrachuperus mustersi)
Endemic Fish
Triplophysa farwelli
Endemic Invertebrates
Unknown
Endemic Plants
Estimated at 20 - 30% of 3,500
– 4,000 species
Uncertain in
Afghanistan
for Global Environment Management (NCSA) for Afghanistan
15 Afghanistan’s Protected
Areas
The.IUCN.recognizes.six.categories.of.protected.
areas:
•. Category. Ia:. Strict. nature. reserve/wilderness.
protection.area.managed.mainly.for.science.
or.wilderness.protection..
•. Category.Ib:.Wilderness.area:.protected.area.
managed.mainly.for.wilderness.protection..
•. Category. II:. National. park:. protected. area.
managed. mainly. for. ecosystem. protection.
and.recreation.
•. Category. III:. Natural. monument:. protected.
area. managed. mainly. for. conservation. of.
specific.natural.features.
•. Category. IV:. Habitat/Species. Management.
Area:. protected. area. managed. mainly.
for. conservation. through. management.
intervention.
•. Category.V:.Protected.Landscape/Seascape:.
protected. area. managed. mainly. for. landscape/seascape.conservation.or.recreation..
•. Category.VI:.Managed.Resource.Protected.
Area:.protected.area.managed.mainly.for.
the.sustainable.use.of.natural.resources..
The. World. Database. of. Protected. Areas. (UNEP-
WCMC.2006).lists.15.protected.areas.in.Afghanistan.
(Table.11)..Seven.were.provided.with.some.level.
of.recognition.by.the.Government.of.Afghanistan.
in. the. 1970s. and. are. recognized. by. IUCN. (one.
Category. II. national. park. and. six. Category. IV.
wildlife. or. waterfowl. reserves).. However,. none.
has.ever.been.given.full.legal.status.or.official.or.
otherwise. recognized. boundaries.. They. are. not.
managed.as.protected.areas..
The.World.Database.of.Protected.Areas.lists.two.
protected. areas. twice.. The. Ajar. Valley. and. Abi-Estada.
are. listed. as. a. Wildlife. Reserve. and. a.
Waterfowl. Reserve. (Category. IV). respectively.
and. are. also. listed. as. proposed. national. parks.
(Category.II)..
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