Climate
Vegetation is scarce in the southern slopes. In the central part, wild olives are abundant, and especially in river valleys, there is a high diversity of flora, including ephedra, pistachios and orchards of apples and cherries, as well as wild almonds and junipers. Ziarat District is a tourist destination, famous for its large juniper forests. Further to the northwest near the Koh-i-Baba mountain range, the higher altitudes of the Sulaiman Mountains are in alpine meadow ecoregion, characterized by meadows and willows, as well as blue pines which cover the summits.
The Sulaiman Range, and the high plateau to the west of it, helps form a natural barrier against the humid winds that blow from the Indian Ocean, creating arid conditions across southern and central Afghanistan to the west and north. In contrast, the relatively flat and low-lying Indus delta is situated due east and south of the Sulaiman Mountains. This lush delta is prone to heavy flooding and is mostly uncultivated wilderness.
Read more about this topic: Sulaiman Mountains
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—W.H. (Wystan Hugh)
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