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52 Forest Vegetation The forest vegetation of the country is extensive and varied. The main ranges of the Speen Ghar and Asmar (in Nuristan) are covered with dense coniferous forests. There are trees such as cedrus deodara, abies excelsa, pinus longifolia, pinus piaster, pinus pinea (or the edible pine), and larix communis. Besides these, yew, hazel, juniper, wild walnut wild peach and almond trees are also frequently met with in these forests. Under the shade of these trees grow several varieties of roses, honeysuckle, currants, gooseberries and hawthorns. The wild lemon and vines are also very common. On the secondary heights, adler, ash, Khinjik, arbor-vitæ, commercial indigo, dwarf laburnum, etc., grow extensively. Lower still and down to 3,000 feet, the eye meets wild olive, specimens of rock-roses, wild privet, acacia, mimosa, barberry, wild palm and zizypus. Important forest products are: timber, resin, charcoal, honey, wax, and pignolia. The dense natural forests of Afghanistan stand mainly in the eastern and north-western areas. The actual area of these natural forests has not been determined so far, although their general boundaries are pretty well-known. It has been estimated that these natural forests do not occupy in excess of two-and-a-half per cent of the land area of Afghanistan. In addition to the dense forests there are certain other lands occupied by shrubs and scattered tree growths. These are more extensive and of great importance but do not yield large quantities of forest products. People who have made special studies of the flora of Afghanistan claim that the dense and scattered forests were once considerably greater in area and better in quality than now. Their studies seem to conclude that forests and grass resources have