[2] The climate is dry and continental, with extreme winter cold and heavy snowfall.

[2] Forests and woodlands are the most widespread plant communities, interspersed with steppe and shrublands.

The predominant trees are deciduous oaks, including Quercus brantii, Q. libani, Q. boissieri, and Q. ithaburensis ssp.

Steppe of herbs and low shrubs, including Astragalus spp., Gundelia tournefortii, Noaea mucronata, Thymus spp., and Salvia cryptantha, is found in oak forest clearings.

High mountain steppes are predominantly of herbaceous plants, like Achillea vermicularis, Ajuga chia, Helianthemum nummularium, Malcolmia africana, and Marrubium parviflorum.

[2] Native mammals include brown bear (Ursus arctos), wolf (Canis lupus), lynx (Lynx lynx), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra asiatica), bezoar ibex (Capra aegagrus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), and river otter (Lutra lutra).