Afghanistan: where have all the trees gone? Decades of war and poverty have taken a steep environmental toll on this Asian country.(World)(Cover story) From: Junior Scholastic | Date: April 14, 2008| Author: Nelson, Cassandra | COPYRIGHT 2008 Scholastic, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Zahir and his brother, Basira, are on one of their frequent visits to the wood market in Konduz. There is no major source of electricity where they live in northeastern Afghanistan. So the boys and their parents must rely on wood fires to heat their home, cook their food, and provide light in the evening.

"The prices are higher than last year," says Zahir, 14. "The wood sellers tell us that they have to go farther and farther to cut the...