Arslanbob Massif
The extensive relict massif of wild walnut forests, preserved since ancient times, is a unique natural monument of global significance. This forest massif occupies the foothills of the Fergana Range, which borders the Fergana Valley from the north. According to scientists, the forests originated in the Cretaceous period, which lasted 70 million years. This was followed by the Tertiary period, which lasted another 60 million years. At the beginning of the Tertiary period, the forests began to transition into a relict state. During the glaciation, they formed within their current boundaries and have remained on Earth only here.
The forests and woodlands occupy the slopes of all exposures, but the main part is concentrated on the northern, northeastern, and northwestern slopes at altitudes of 1200-2100 meters above sea level.
In terms of the area occupied, richness, and diversity of woody-shrub vegetation and wildlife, these forests are unparalleled in the world.
The area occupied by walnut-fruit forests is 230 thousand hectares, with walnut plantations forming four distinct massifs.
Arslanbob Massif is the largest of them (11 thousand hectares), covering the basin of the Tentyak-Sai River and its tributaries. The Kugart massif (7.5 thousand hectares) occupies the upper reaches of the Kugart-Su River. Here, on the Fergana Range, in the upper reaches of the Yassy River basin, lies the Uzgen massif (2 thousand hectares). The Khoja-Atyn massif (7 thousand hectares) occupies the southeastern foothills of the Chatkal Range.
The natural composition of these forests is diverse: wild apple trees, pears, plums, cherries, and other fruit trees and shrubs, but the predominant species is the walnut. The very name "walnut" is a clear misunderstanding. In Greece, this nut has never grown in the wild; its homeland is our southern forests. Its scientific Latin name, Juglans regia - royal walnut - better corresponds to the species and significance of this tree.
