Afghan Mountains semi-desert

Ecoregion in Afghanistan

Afghan Mountains semi-desert

Bamyan Valley, Afghanistan

Ecoregion territory (in purple)

Ecology
Realm| Palearctic
Biome| Deserts and xeric shrublands
Geography
Area| 13,713 km2 (5,295 sq mi)
Country| Afghanistan
Coordinates| 34°45′N 67°45′E﻿ / ﻿34.75°N 67.75°E﻿ / 34.75; 67.75

The Afghan Mountains semi-desert ecoregion (WWF ID: PA1301) covers three disconnected interior valleys in the north of the mountains of Afghanistan. These valleys are arid (250–300 mm/year of precipitation), and covered mostly in thorny shrubs. Overgrazing by livestock has put pressure on the grasses and the wild animals dependent on them.[1][2][3][4]

## Location and description[edit]

The valleys of this ecoregion lie along the central mountain range of Afghanistan, the Koh-i-Baba, a western extension of the Hindu Kush. The western sector of this ecoregion is on the valley of the Hari River around the town of Chaghcharan. The middle sector covers the Bamyan Valley at an altitude of 2,550 metres (8,370 ft).[4] The easternmost sector is in Badakhshan Province on the northern slope of the mountains 100 km north of Jalalabad.[2] The terrain ranges in elevation from 1,155 to 5,497 metres (3,789 to 18,035 ft), with an average of 2,897 metres (9,505 ft).[3]

## Climate[edit]

The climate of the ecoregion is Humid continental climate - Warm, dry summer sub-type (Köppen climate classification Dsb), with large seasonal temperature differentials and a warm summer (no month averaging over 22 °C (72 °F), and at least four months averaging over 10 °C (50 °F). The driest month between April and September has less than 1/3 the precipitation of the wettest month.[5][6] In this ecoregion, average precipitation is 250–300 mm/year.[4]

## Flora and fauna[edit]

The ground cover in the ecoregion is about 2/3 herbaceous cover and 1/3 bare. The vegetation is mostly open cover thorny shrub, the height of which is generally under 1.5 metres (4.9 ft). Significant vegetation tends to occur along dry river beds.[4] There are only 95 vertebrate species recorded in the ecoregion, none of which are endemic. Overgrazing has degraded the grass-like vegetation (Graminoids). Species of conservation interest include the near-threatened Argali (Ovis ammon), the near-threatened striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), and the endangered white-bellied musk deer (Moschus leucogaster).[4]

## Protected areas[edit]

Less than 2% of the ecoregion is officially protected.[3] A 2017 estimate of the protected area included only 569 square kilometers.[7] These protected areas include:

* Band-e Amir National Park (a portion is in the ecoregion).
* Ajar Valley Nature Reserve

## External Links[edit]

Afghan Mountains Semi-Desert. One Earth

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Afghan Mountains semi-desert.

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Afghan Mountains semi-desert". World Wildlife Federation. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
2. ^ a b "Map of Ecoregions 2017". Resolve, using WWF data. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
3. ^ a b c "Afghan Mountains semi-desert". Digital Observatory for Protected Areas. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
4. ^ a b c d e "Afghan Mountains semi-desert". The Encyclopedia of Earth. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
5. ^ Kottek, M.; Grieser, J.; Beck, C.; Rudolf, B.; Rubel, F. (2006). "World Map of Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Updated" (PDF). Gebrüder Borntraeger 2006. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
6. ^ "Dataset – Koppen climate classifications". World Bank. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
7. ^ Dinerstein, Eric [in German]; Olson, David; Joshi, Anup; et al. (2017-04-05). "An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm". BioScience. 67 (6): 534–545, Supplemental material 2 table S1b. doi:10.1093/biosci/bix014. ISSN 0006-3568. PMC 5451287. PMID 28608869.

* v
* t
* e

Palearctic deserts and xeric shrublands ecoregions

Africa|

* Atlantic coastal desert
* North Saharan steppe and woodlands
* Red Sea coastal desert
* Sahara desert
* South Saharan steppe and woodlands
* Tibesti–Jebel Uweinat montane xeric woodlands
* West Saharan montane xeric woodlands

Western Asia|

* Arabian Desert
* Azerbaijan shrub desert and steppe
* Central Persian desert basins
* Mesopotamian shrub desert
* Persian Gulf desert and semi-desert
* Red Sea Nubo–Sindian tropical desert and semi-desert
* South Iran Nubo–Sindian desert and semi-desert

Central Asia|

* Afghan Mountains semi-desert
* Badghyz and Karabil semi-desert
* Baluchistan xeric woodlands
* Caspian lowland desert
* Central Afghan Mountains xeric woodlands
* Central Asian northern desert
* Central Asian riparian woodlands
* Central Asian southern desert
* Kazakh semi-desert
* Kopet Dag semi-desert
* Paropamisus xeric woodlands
* Registan–North Pakistan sandy desert

Eastern Asia|

* Alashan Plateau semi-desert
* Dzungaria
* Eastern Gobi desert steppe
* Gobi Lakes Valley desert steppe
* Great Lakes Basin desert steppe
* Qaidam Basin
* Taklamakan Desert

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