The Badghyz and Karabil semi-desert

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...

(WWF ID: PA1306) covers the hills north of the central mountain ranges of

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

, southeast

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the sout ...

, and portions of

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...

and

Tajikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...

. The landscape has been described as "savannah-like" and reminiscent of Africa, with desert sedges ('' Carex'') and stands of wild pistachio trees (''

Pistacia vera The pistachio (, ''Pistacia vera''), a member of the cashew family, is a small tree originating from Central Asia and the Middle East. The tree produces seeds that are widely consumed as food. ''Pistacia vera'' is often confused with other spe ...

''). The area supports high biodiversity and a number of rare and endemic species, such as the endangered

Turkmenian kulan The Turkmenian kulan (''Equus hemionus kulan''), also called Transcaspian wild ass, Turkmenistani onager or simply the ', is a subspecies of onager (Asiatic wild ass) native to Central Asia. It was declared Endangered in 2016. The species's popu ...

''(Equus hemionus kulan)''.

Location and description

The hilly ecoregion is situated between the large sandy

Karakum desert The Karakum Desert, also spelled Kara-Kum and Gara-Gum ( tk, Garagum, ; rus, Караку́мы, Karakumy, kərɐˈkumɨ), is a desert in Central Asia. Its name in Turkic languages means "black sand": "" means sand; "" is a contraction of : "d ...

to the north, the Koyentag ('Impassable') Mountains to the east, the Parapamiz Mountains of the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan to the south, and Kopet Dag Mountains of Turkmenistan and Iran to the southwest. Throughout the region are large depressions of dried salt pans, supporting salt-tolerant plants.

Climate

The climate of the ecoregion is '' Hot-summer Mediterranean climate'' (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

Csa). This climate is characterized hot, sometimes very hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The hottest month averages over , and the coldest . Precipitation in the Badhyz Nature Reserve varies from 130 mm/year to 430 mm/year. Winds are often strong, typically from the North and Northwest.

Flora and fauna

Biodiversity is high in the region, as the climate is relatively mild, and the location is in a transition zone that supports both Iranian-Afghan and Central Asian floral communities. Over 1,100 species of vascular plants have been recorded in the region. The dominant plants are desert sedges, particularly ('' Carex pachystylis''). Also found are Artemisia shrubs, Saltwort, and Saxaul. Protected areas have been set aside to protect groves of the wild Pistachio trees, with one covering 760 km2. The region supports important populations of large mammals, such as the near-threatened Asiatic wild ass ( Onager) and the Goitered gazelle. The endangered

Egyptian vulture The Egyptian vulture (''Neophron percnopterus''), also called the white scavenger vulture or pharaoh's chicken, is a small Old World vulture and the only member of the genus ''Neophron''. It is widely distributed from the Iberian Peninsula and ...

is also found in the region.

Protections

Significant protected areas in the ecoregion include: *

Köýtendag Nature Reserve Köýtendag Nature Reserve, formerly Kugitang Nature Reserve, is a nature reserve (''zapovednik'') in the extreme east of Turkmenistan. Geography Established in 1986, it is located in the Köýtendag Range of Lebap Province Lebap Region ...

* Badhyz State Nature Reserve

References

{{reflist Ecoregions of Turkmenistan Ecoregions of Afghanistan Ecoregions of Uzbekistan Ecoregions of Tajikistan Ecoregions of Iran