Biodiversity and Forests

Since the preparation of the Biodiversity Country
Study (MOA/UNEP/GEF, 1996), urbanisation
appears to be the main driving force to habitat
loss or change in all areas of Lebanon except
in pine forest communities where recent fires
(natural and man-induced) are the main cause
of degradation. Juniper and several oak species
are preferentially felled for the production of
charcoal. Overgrazing is further threatening
dwindling juniper forests and compromising
or inhibiting regeneration. The stone pine
(umbrella pine) is primarily threatened by urban
development and forest fires. The severity of
threats by forest type is presented in Figure 5.3.
Quarries and stone crushers, agricultural
expansion into forested areas, climate change,
limited public awareness of conservation issues,
and political tensions have a compounding
effect on natural resources including biodiversity
and forests.
In rangelands, the main driving force is
urbanisation but followed by overgrazing.
In fact, large swaths of land constitute graze
lands for agro-pastoral ruminant production.
Some of these lands were degraded from
maquis to garrigue and then to batha. If these
areas degrade further due to unsustainable
grazing activities and intensity, they will no
longer support the biodiversity they originally
sustained. Graze lands cover much greater areas
than areas under conservation management;
the sustainable management of graze lands
therefore will contribute to improving
biodiversity management (MOE/UNDP, FNR-
CBD, 2009). In short, Figure 5.4 illustrates the
impact of each source of pressure on habitat
loss and/or forest degradation.
Forest fires, especially fires recorded in 2007 and
2008, have destroyed in a relatively short time
span 4,200 ha of Lebanon’s vegetation cover.
During a single day in October 2007, the total
burned area was equivalent to three times the
area reforested during 17 years (AFDC, 2007).
The devastating fires and their impact on forest
cover raised national concern and fears that
Lebanon’s forest cover would disappear unless
radical steps were taken to address and prevent
fires (Mitri, 2009). These fires have caused forest
fragmentation and loss of associated ecosystem
services. This, in turn, is affecting the livelihoods
of local communities. Figure 5.5 shows the
extent of reported forest fires in Lebanon; these
data were consolidated by the MOE based on
the records of the Internal Security Forces (ISF).
Figure 5.3 Threat intensity based on nine forest species
Source: Adapted from MOA/UNEP/GEF, 1996 by G. Ramadan Jaradi (unpublished)
Figure 5.4 The impact of driving forces on ecosystem change in Lebanon
Tree felling in Sir El Dinnieh
Note: The size of the driving force is proportional to its influence. The influence of
climate change on ecosystems is misevaluated due to lack of data.
Source: G. Ramadan Jaradi (unpubl.)
Chapter 5: Biodiversity and Forests 151