Vascular Plants of Afghanistan: An Augmented Checklist [English / Dari]

About this book

Language: Mainly English, partly in Dari

Vascular Plants of Afghanistan, written mainly in English, partly in Dari, gives a synoptic overview of all the known vascular plants in Afghanistan. It is the first augmented checklist for the country and was compiled from many information sources, recent and old, especially Flora Iranica (1963 ff.). It is a natural follow-up to the profusely illustrated Field Guide Afghanistan (Breckle & Rafiqpoor, 2010). Among its many attributes, the checklist enables us to state, with some confidence, that the total number of Afghan vascular plant species is about 5 000, a considerably higher total than previously thought; species endemism is c. 24 %. The alphabetical sequence of taxa, families and genera, the photographs and the tabular presentation of data make it user-friendly for everybody, not just taxonomists. The distribution maps serve different purposes even though, at this stage of our knowledge, they are inevitably a first step and are, for example, an incentive for local botanists to make them more definitive. They also draw attention to the endemics. Likewise, the detailed nomenclatural and literature information provide a strong and accurate framework for any kind of future research and the conser vation management of the rich and varied plant life of Afghanistan.

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