The Jungles Of Afghanistan: Unveiling A Hidden Wilderness

Afghanistan's forest cover has decreased by about 50% over the past three decades, according to the United Nations Environmental Program. Today, forests cover only around 2% of the country, with illegal harvesting and trade of timber being the main reason for this decline. Commercial timber harvesting is illegal in Afghanistan, but a massive smuggling industry has emerged to meet international demand. The remaining forests are found in places like Kunar province bordering Pakistan, which has become the main outlet for Afghan timber. The province used to be covered in oak, pine, and walnut forests, but over the last three decades, it has lost 40% of its trees. The East Afghan montane conifer forests ecoregion covers a series of unconnected conifer forests along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, at elevations of 2,000 to 3,400 meters above sea level. While Afghanistan does have forested areas, it is inaccurate to describe these areas as jungles.

Afghanistan's forest cover has decreased by 50% over the past three decades

Afghanistan's forest cover has decreased by about 50% over the past three decades, according to the United Nations Environmental Program. The country's forest cover now stands at just about 2% of its total land area. The main reason for this significant loss is the illegal harvesting and trade of timber, fuelled by the high international demand for Afghan timber and the involvement of top officials and local communities in the smuggling business.

Commercial timber harvesting is illegal in Afghanistan, but the law is often not enforced due to a lack of resources and the remote locations of the affected communities. Additionally, law enforcement officials are often complicit in the illegal trade, and local communities have few alternative economic opportunities. As a result, the remaining forests in provinces like Kunar, bordering Pakistan, are under constant threat.

The loss of forest cover has severe ecological consequences for Afghanistan. Trees play a vital role in protecting against the destructive effects of heavy rain and flooding, and their loss increases the vulnerability of homes and villages to landslides and erosion. The reduction in forest cover also contributes to the country's desertification, with once lush valleys now facing the impacts of erosion, flooding, and forest fires.

The illegal timber trade has been a crucial income source for multiple groups vying for power within eastern Afghanistan, including the Taliban and, more recently, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP). The trade provides much-needed income for poor labourers and local communities, who often have few other economic options. However, it comes at the cost of destroying the region's rich ecosystems and natural resources.

Efforts by the Afghan government to ban logging and create special military units for protecting forests have had limited success due to enforcement challenges and the complex web of competing needs. While the Taliban has announced a ban on the timber trade, there is scepticism about their commitment to environmental protection, given their reliance on the flow of money from the illegal trade.

Commercial timber harvesting is illegal in Afghanistan

The timber trade in Afghanistan is a complex web involving the Afghan government, insurgent organisations, and local communities. The comingling influences of culture, tradition, and economic necessity have made local communities active and willing participants in the trade.

The forests of eastern Afghanistan consist of two primary types: a low-elevation broadleaf forest of evergreen oak, and a high-elevation conifer forest. The average Afghan relies on the oak forest for fuelwood and fodder. The conifer forest, meanwhile, provides prized deodar cedar as a commercial product, enriching criminal syndicates and insurgent organisations.

The Kunar province, near the Pakistan border, is the main outlet for Afghan timber. The province has been and remains one of the most violent and contested provinces in Afghanistan, making traditional research methods all but impossible. However, according to smugglers and residents of Kunar, the very people empowered to protect the forests – including top officials, the governor, the police chief, and the head of the provincial council – have a strong economic incentive to cut them down.

The timber trade has also been a profitable business for local people and armed groups in the eastern provinces, who have been involved in the illegal logging of trees that are then transported and sold in neighbouring Pakistan. The areas near the border with Pakistan have a lot of good-quality wood, but over the past three decades, the government has been unable to control the informal trading.

By 2013, at least half of Afghanistan's forests had disappeared. The United Nations Environmental Program estimates that over the past three decades, Afghanistan's forest cover has decreased by about 50%. Today, forests cover only about 2% of the country.

The Kunar province bordering Pakistan is the main outlet for Afghan timber

Kunar province, bordering Pakistan, is the main outlet for Afghan timber. The province is the last remaining place with forests in Afghanistan, which have been decimated by illegal logging and smuggling. The timber trade is a complex web involving the interaction of the Afghan government, insurgent organisations, and local communities. The average Afghan relies on the oak forests for fuel and fodder, and the conifer forests provide the prized deodar cedar as a commercial product, enriching criminal syndicates and insurgents.

The Kunar River valley is lined with giant piles of prime timber worth tens of millions of dollars. The timber is cut and smuggled on mules to a market in neighbouring Nangarhar province. The timber trade is a lucrative business, with each tree making about 15 planks, which go for 12,000 Pakistani rupees (about $75). The timber is also transported to Pakistan in trucks, with dozens of trucks carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of timber across the border each night.

The timber trade is a major source of income for the local communities in Kunar province, where there are few other opportunities to earn money. The trade is also a significant source of revenue for insurgent organisations, which have increasingly taken over the illegal timber trade since 2010. The Taliban and Islamic State (IS) have used large-scale logging to fund their violent campaigns.

The Afghan government has been unable to stop the illegal timber trade, despite attempts to do so. The trade is often carried out at night, with top officials, including the governor, police chief, and head of the provincial council, involved and paid their share. The local communities are also reliant on the trade, and attempts to stop it have been met with resistance.

The East Afghan montane conifer forests ecoregion covers a series of unconnected forests

The northernmost sector of the ecoregion is the smallest, lying on the southern edge of the Hindu Kush mountains in Nuristan Province, about 60 kilometres north of Jalalabad. This subregion is surrounded on the north and south by the Hindu Kush alpine meadow ecoregion, and on the west and east by the drier Baluchistan xeric woodlands. The middle sector is centred in Paktia Province, south of Kabul, and covers the mountains east of the Gardez valley. The ecoregion's southern sector is in the mountains above Quetta and Kuchlak in Pakistan.

The soil in the northern area is gravel and organic matter over a clay substrate, while the bedrock in the south is limestone. The ecoregion has a humid continental climate, with large seasonal temperature differentials and a warm summer. The average precipitation in the ecoregion is 200-400 mm/year.

Only about 40% of the ecoregion is covered in vegetation, including shrubs, herbaceous cover, and open forest. The forest type is largely determined by altitude zones. From 2,100 to 2,500 metres, the forest is drier, with Chilgoza pine, holly oak, species of the beech family, and cedar. The understory at this stage features Indigofera gerardiana (a legume) and Danewort. From 2,500 to 3,100 metres, the forest becomes denser with more deciduous trees among the conifers, including Morinda spruce, Bhutan pine, Quercus semecarpifolia, and Himalayan cedar. Above 3,100 metres, the forest transitions to juniper.

Afghanistan is home to at least 4,000 species of vascular plants

Afghanistan is a biodiversity hotspot, home to a wide array of flora and fauna. While the country's biodiversity has suffered due to war and human activities such as overgrazing and illegal logging, it still boasts a rich variety of plant species.

Among the over 3,000 plant species found in Afghanistan, there are at least 4,000 species of vascular plants. Vascular plants are those that have specialized tissues for conducting water, nutrients, and minerals throughout the plant, and they include many types of flowering plants, conifers, and ferns. Afghanistan's diverse landscapes and ecosystems provide a haven for these vascular plants, contributing to the country's ecological balance and conservation efforts.

The country's vascular plant species include unique varieties such as Iris afghanica, Iris cycloglossa, and several species of Dionysia, which are endemic to Afghanistan. Some of these plants are grown as rock garden plants, while others are restricted to specific regions within the country. The Afghan Snowfinch is a bird species that is also endemic to the region and depends on these vascular plants for habitat and food sources.

The distribution of vascular plants in Afghanistan varies with elevation and climate. In the southern part of the country, vegetation is sparse, especially in the dry, western regions where sandy deserts predominate. However, as one moves towards the north, the plant cover becomes denser, and at higher elevations, the vegetation is lush, particularly in the mountainous regions influenced by monsoons.

The mountains of Afghanistan are home to large forest trees, including conifers such as pine and fir, which can reach impressive heights of up to 180 feet (55 meters). At lower elevations, cedar, oak, walnut, alder, ash, and juniper trees are commonly found. The country also boasts a variety of shrubs, roses, honeysuckle, hawthorn, and currant and gooseberry bushes.

The decline in Afghanistan's forest cover, due to illegal logging and fuel collection, poses a significant threat to the survival of these vascular plant species. Conservation efforts are crucial to protect the country's rich biodiversity and ensure the long-term survival of these unique plant species.

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