East Afghan montane conifer forests
The East Afghan montane conifer forests ecoregion (WWF ID: PA0506) covers a series of unconnected conifer forests along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, at elevations of to above sea level. The ecoregion supports the near-threatened Markhor (Capra falconeri chiltanensis), known as the Screw-horned goat, the national animal of Pakistan. The forests of the ecoregion have been heavily thinned for timber. Location and description The northernmost sector is the smallest, lying on the southern edge of the Hindu Kush mountains, in Nuristan Province about 60 km north of Jalalabad. This subregion is bounded 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 centered in Paktia Province, south of Kabul. It covers the mountains east of the Gardez valley. The southern sector of the ecorange 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. In the south, the bedrock is limestone. Climate The climate of the ecoregion is Humid continental climate, warm summer (Köppen climate classification (Dfb)). This climate is characterized by large seasonal temperature differentials