Biodiversity and Forests

146
Lebanon occupies 0.007 percent of the world’s
land surface area and is a home to 1.11percent
of the world’s plant species (Tohmé & Tohmé,
2007) and 2.63 percent of the reptile, bird and
mammal species. Its sea harbours about 1790
species, representing almost 2.7 percent of the
world’s marine species. Table 5.1 presents the
number of described species in Lebanon by
taxonomic group, and as a percent of globally
described species.
Table 5.1 Species richness within Lebanon in relation to the world
Taxon Number of Percentage
Source
described of the earth’s
species in
Lebanon
species
Mammals 59 1.38 MOA/UNEP/GEF, 1996; Bara
&Tohmé, pers. comm.
Birds 395 4.06 Ramadan-Jaradi et al. 2008
Amphibians 6 0.15 Hraoui et al, 2001
Reptiles 54 0.8 Hraoui et al, 2002
Freshwater 610 7.06 MOA/UNEP/GEF, 1996; Dia, pers.
comm.
Marine fish 367 1.20 MOA/UNEP/GEF, 1996; Bariche
et al. 2004
Invertebrate 3835 0.27 MOA/UNEP/GEF, 1996
Terrestrial
Plants
3790 1.60 MOA/UNEP/GEF, 1996 & Tohmé
&Tohmé, 2007
As shown in Table 5.1 Lebanon is home to
about 3,790 terrestrial plant species, of which
8.5 percent are broad endemic (endemic to
Lebanon, Syria and Palestine) and 3.5 percent
are endemic to Lebanon (MOA/UNEP/GEF,
1996). This percentage is high compared to
other Mediterranean countries with similar
histories of human activity (Médail and Quézel,
1997). Relative to its size, Lebanon boasts one
of the highest densities of floral diversity in the
Mediterranean basin, which in turn is one of the
most biologically diverse regions in the world
(Médail and Quézel, 1997). Similarly, Lebanon’s
vegetation has an exceptionally high speciesarea
ratio of 0.25 species per km 2 , compared to
0.0081 per km² for South Africa, 0.0044 for Brazil,
0.0021 for Egypt, 0.022 for Jordan, 0.015 for
Spain, 0.017 for Syria and 0.011 for Turkey. The
faunal diversity of Lebanon is also high relative
to the country’s surface area when compared to
neighbouring countries (0.028 species/ km 2 for
Lebanon; 0.019 for Syria; and 0.017 for Libya)
(MOE/UNDP, FNR-CBD, 2009).
Lebanon is influenced by the Mediterranean
Sea. Four principal factors have interacted in
this region to produce an exceptionally rich and
unique biodiversity: biogeography, geology,
State and Trends of the Lebanese Environment | 2010
ecology and historic human settlements in
the Mediterranean area (Blondel and Aronson
1999). More than any other region in the world,
the Mediterranean region best exemplifies
the environmental change in response
to interactions between people and the
environment. Lebanon is part of Mediterranean
Basin, a recognized centre of plant diversity that
is considered a global hotspot (see Figure 5.2).
According to Conservation International, this
hotspot ranks third among the world’s hotspots
in both plant diversity and endemism, surpassed
only by the ultra-diverse Tropical Andes and
Sundaland (MOE/UNDP, FNR-CBD, 2009).
Figure 5.2 Lebanon in the Mediterranean Hotspot
Source: Myers et al. 2000
5.1.2 Major Ecosystems
Lebanon encompasses the important
components of the Mediterranean vegetation
(Arbutus, Ceratonia, Pistacia, Pinus, Quercus and
Laurus) which are surviving remnants from the
ancient forests that dominated the Basin two
Million years ago and which represent the past
and present climax of the country. Additionally,
cold shrubs (Artemisia, Astralagus, and members
of Ephedraceae) and trees (Acer, Betula, Cercis,
Fagus, and Ulmus) invaded the Mediterranean,
including Lebanon, during the Pleistocene
from Europe and Asia and some are still present
on the Lebanese territory. Notable keystone
and flag species in the country is the famous
Lebanon cedar (Cedrus libani) that has been
exploited since millennia.
One of the remarkable attributes in Lebanon
is the gradual shift from Mediterranean to
continental Mediterranean and sub-desert
conditions from west to east, and the gradual
altitudinal change from the batha (degraded
garrigue) of the Thermo Mediterranean to the
tragacanth of the Sub-alpine and Alpine zones
through garrigues (degraded maquis) and
maquis of oak and forests of pine, cedar and
fir. The southernmost extent of fir trees in the
northern hemisphere is the northern parts of
the Mount Lebanon range.