Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve - Biodiversity

Biodiversity

• Flora

The flora of the Al-Shouf Cedar area is partly covered by Mouterde's 1966, 1970 and 1983 flora of Lebanon. The most recent and extensive botanical researches on the official site were conducted, on behalf of the Ministry of Environment (Protected Areas Project), by (Georges Tohmé) the National Council for Scientific Research (NCSR) in 1999. Since then extremely few flora reports on the official site were published or known. Tohmé continued his field botanical studies at Al-Shouf Cedar Reserve during the last three years in order to obtain confirmation on the status of certain species. His recent new findings are published in Tohmé, G. & Tohmé, H. (2002). Few of them are incorporated here and the others will be added to the final report of the present study-project. The list of Al-Shouf Cedar Reserve species includes 500 identified species distributed over 61 families. Also the reserve is habitat to 25 internationally and nationally threatened species, 48 endemic to Lebanon or Lebanon and Syria or Lebanon and Turkey, and 14 rare species, whilst 214 species are restricted to the Eastern Mediterranean or Middle East area.

The reserve is also home to 24 tree species, of which some are found in Europe and the Mediterranean area as well as in Lebanon. The reserve is known for its official's efforts to save the cedar of Lebanon through continues management of the forests and planting new trees in previously logged and deforestated areas. The reserve form the last natural limits to the spread of Cedrus libani on the planet. The reserve is also known for the ability of the forests to regenerate by their own without any human interference. Other tree species in the reserve include : Cyprus oak (Quercus infectoria ), Brant’s oak (Quercus brantii), Kermes oak (Quercus calliprinos), Calabrian pine (Pinus brutia), Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis), Stone pine (Pinus pinea), Greek juniper (Juniperus excelca), Syrian juniper (Arceuthos drupacea).

• Kermes Oak

• Calabrian pine

• Aleppo pine (picture from France)

• stone pine

• Fauna

Mammals: Mammal explorations in Lebanon were limited until around the middle of the twentieth century. They are fragmentary and provided little information on the mammals inhabiting the country. Many species and sub-species were not yet recorded for Lebanon till the 1970s.

Between 1980 and 1985, Tohmé, G. and Tohmé, H. alone produced 33% of the known published papers on the Lebanese mammals. The only documented data of the mammals of Al-Shouf Cedar Reserve apparently appeared in the report of Tohmé, H. that was prepared, on behalf of the Protected Areas Project at the Ministry of Environment, in 1999 by the NCSR. This report, which was based on inventory and surveys as well as brochures and other documents developed by the managing team of the reserve, produced a list of 32 mammals which include: Wild boar (Sus scrofa), Gray wolf (Canis lupus ), Beech marten (Martes foina), Mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella), Golden jackal (Canis aureus), Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), European badger (Meles meles), Cape hare (Lepus capensis), Caucasian Squirrel (Sciurus anomalus), Palestine Mole Rat (Nannospalax ehrenbergi) Indian porcupine (Hystrix indica), Striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), Wild cat (Felis silvestris), Cape hyrax (Procavia capensis). The reserve launched a project to reintroduce the Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) to the area from Jordan, after it was extinct in the mid-twentieth century. The reserve was most probably home to the Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), Persian fallow deer (Dama dama mesopotamica), Anatolian leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana), Wild goat (Capra aegagrus), and Syrian Brown Bear (Ursus arctos syriacus), which are extinct now in Lebanon. The Aurochs (Bos primigenius) may have existed in the area in the middle ages as well.

• Wild boar

• Nubian ibex

• Wild goat

• Gray wolf

• Caracal

• Golden jackal

• Persian fallow deer

Birds: The reserve is home to 200 species of birds, of which 19 are considered rare at the national level. More than 22 species have been confirmed to be resident, the rest are migratory or rare visitors, and at least two or three species have been introduced. The reserve holds a combination of birds found in Europe, Africa, and Asia which include: Chukar (Alectoris chukar), Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius), Blackbird (Turdus merula), Common raven (Corvus corax), Common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), Shore lark (Eremophila alpestris), Common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), Common Chaffinch, (Fringilla coelebs), Turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), Rock sparrow (Petronia petronia), European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis).

Two species at least have been introduced to the shouf area for hunting and expanded their range in to the reserve, the two species are: Rock partridge (Alectoris graeca), and Common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus). The reserve is also home to many species of birds of prey such as: Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), and the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos).

• Chukar

• Common pheasant (male)

• Eurasian jay (but not ssp. atricapillus, which occurs in Lebanon)

• Blackbird (male)

• Common kestrel (male)

• Golden eagle

• European goldfinch

Reptiles and Amphibians: Al-shouf cedar reserve is home to a rich variety of reptiles, 26 species were documented with two species endemic to Lebanon and the chouf area in particular. The reserve is also home to four species of amphibians, almost the same number of species found in the whole of Lebanon. The species include: Palestinian viper (Vipera palaestinae), Greek tortoise (Testudo graeca), Mediterranean chameleon (Chamaeleon chamaeleon), European copper skink (Ablepharus kitaibelii), Common Toad (Bufo bufo), European green toad (Bufo viridis), Arouss Al Ayn (Salamandra infraimmaculata), Middle East Tree Frog (Hyla savignyi).

• Palestinian viper

• Mediterranean chameleon

• Greek tortoise

• European copper skink

• Common toad

• Green toad

• Arouss al ayn

• Middle East Tree Frog