The most threatened ecosystems in the Kyrgyz territory include the fruit and nut forests of the south (threatened by overuse), fragile mountain forest communities, steppes near large human settlements, high-mountain meadows (threatened by overgrazing) and some areas of semi-desert and diy steppe (which are easily degraded through grazing). Overall, forest loss has been dramatic over the last decades - fir and juniper forests have declined by over 35 per cent, fruit and nut forests have declined by 50 per cent, and pistachio and almond forests have shrunk to only 30,000 ha (30% decline) over the last 50 years. About 90 per cent of the latter forests still are used as pasture land.