Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve in Lebanon

Forests cover 13.6% of Lebanon, and other wooded lands represents 11%.^[1] Since 2011, more than 600,000 trees, including cedars and other native species, have been planted throughout Lebanon as part of the Lebanon Reforestation Initiative (LRI).^[2] More reforestation efforts are needed. For example, the 40 hectares of Cedrus libani at Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve could be expanded to 3,000 hectares.^[3] The Friends of the Cedar Forest Committee planted 200,000 cedars, with 180,000 surviving.^[4] The Committee goal was to create a corridor connecting the cedar forests o of Bcharre, Ehden, and Tannourine with each other to create an ecosystem in order to make the forests more resilient to future environmental pressures.^[5]

Natural areas of Lebanon include:

• Aammiq Wetland, an area of marsh in the Beqaa Valley
• Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve, an area of cedar forest around Barouk
• Benta'ael, a national park area in the mountains above Byblos
• Horsh Ehden, a cedar forest north of Ehden
• Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab), the remains of an ancient Lebanese cedar forest containing some of the oldest extant Cedar trees of the country.^[6]
• Jabal Rihane, a nature reserve in the Rihane mountains of south Lebanon
• Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve
• Palm Islands Nature Reserve, small islands near Tripoli
• Qammoua protected area, a grove of cedars, Cilicica fir and junipers in Akkar, North Lebanon
• Jaj Cedars, an area of cedar forests in the Byblos District area.
• Tyre Coast Nature Reserve, a Ramsar site in Southern Lebanon.
• Abraham River gorge, a valley in the Byblos District.
• Tannourine Cedar Reserve, a cedar forest in the mountains above Byblos.
• Wadi Jhannam, a ravine in North Lebanon.
• Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley), a UNESCO's World Heritage Site consisting of steep valleys with a longstanding monastic history.^[6]
• Yammoune
• Mount Hermon^[7]

References