Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve

Coordinates: 33°41′39.25″N 35°42′07.63″E / 33.6942361°N 35.7021194°E / 33.6942361; 35.7021194
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve
Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve
Map showing the location of Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve
Map showing the location of Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve
Map of Lebanon
LocationChouf District, Lebanon
Coordinates33°41′39.25″N 35°42′07.63″E / 33.6942361°N 35.7021194°E / 33.6942361; 35.7021194
Area550 km2 (210 sq mi)
Established1996
www.shoufcedar.org
Inside the Barouk forest

Al Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in the Chouf and Aley districts of Lebanon. It is located on the slopes of Jebel Baruk mountain and has an area of 550 km2 (210 sq mi), nearly 5.3% of the Lebanese territory, making it the largest natural reserve in Lebanon.

The reserve contains the

Eco-tourism
area. It hosts 32 species of wild mammals, 200 species of birds, and 500 species of plants.

Geodiversity

The Barouk mountain comprises rocks from the

Anti-Lebanon, and the western range is called Mount Lebanon. The two mountain ranges are separated by the Beqaa Valley, which is composed of recent infill sediments. The main rocks are limestone
. The whole of the Barouk Mountain is cavernous limestone, with many surface features such as dolines indicating the underlying cavernous forms of the mountain range. One particularly noteworthy cave, estimated to be 700 metres (2,300 ft) long, is located near Niha village. Villagers report an abundance of stalactites and stalagmites and that there is an underground body of water.

The highest peak on the range at 1,980 metres (6,500 ft). The trend from north to south is for the eastern slopes to change from very steep to less steep and for the western slopes to become increasingly steep. The top of the Barouk range becomes increasingly narrow towards the south.

  • Hydrology:

Precipitation in the watershed is the source of both surface streamflow and groundwater. The major portion of this occurs as rain. Snowfall often occurs at the upper elevations but snow seldom persists more than a few days and disappears before the end of the rainy season. Normally snow has little overall direct effect on stream-flow within the watershed. However, on rare occasions warm rains falling on the snow-pack may result in rapid melting and release of large quantities of water at a time when the soils are already fully saturated. These conditions result in rapid runoff and floods. A large proportion of the exposed surface rock in the Barouk region is cavernous, fissured and broken limestone, and its porous condition makes it very permeable. This results in much of the precipitation infiltrating with minimum surface runoff despite the often-shallow soils and sparse vegetative cover. Water percolates downward through the various formations and feeds the many large springs found on lower slopes in the area. Such springs help maintain stream-flow during the April to November dry season. Surface water flows originating on the range are mostly seasonal but some are perennial. Underground water generates outflow rivers such as: - Al Awali River, more commonly known as Al-Barouk river - Damour River, known as Al-Safa river The summit of the range is considered as a divide between two hydrological systems because of the difference between the two slopes of the mountain. The eastern slope is much steeper and favors surface stream flows, whereas the western slope is less steep and favors ground water aquifers. The rivers that flow in the valleys are the major source of agriculture irrigation and supply a dozen Shouf villages with domestic water and some of the western Bekaa villages. It is also the main source of water for the

Aammiq Swamp
in the Bekaa.

Man-made alpine lake in the reserve

From an erosion point of view these soils are in a state of equilibrium due to:

  • High permeability.
  • Mask of calcareous fragments.
  • Good vegetative cover.
  • Good drainage.
  • Climatology:

The annual rainfall average is 1,200 mm (47 in), and the mean annual temperature is 11.3 °C (52.3 °F). The mean daily maximum temperature is 23.4 °C (74.1 °F) in August whereas the mean minimum temperature in January is −0.6 °C (30.9 °F). The absolute temperature ranges from −10.8 °C (12.6 °F) in January to 32.3 °C (90.1 °F) in August. The mean relative humidity lies around 65% but the eastern slopes are slightly drier. There are about 50 to 55 days of snow fall per year, depending on the information provided by the Ministry of Public Work and Transport.

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.

Cedar forest inside the reserve
Cedars in winter

The reserve is also home to 24 tree species, of which some are found in

Syrian juniper
(Arceuthos drupacea).

  • Kermes oak
    Kermes oak
  • Calabrian pine
    Calabrian pine
  • Aleppo pine (picture from France)
    Aleppo pine (picture from France)
  • Stone pine
    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 subspecies 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:

Anatolian leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana) which are extinct now in Lebanon. The aurochs (Bos primigenius) may have existed in the area in the Middle Ages
as well.

  • Wild boar
    Wild boar
  • Nubian ibex
    Nubian ibex
  • Wild goat
    Wild goat
  • Gray wolf
    Gray wolf
  • Caracal
    Caracal
  • Golden jackal
    Golden jackal
  • Persian fallow deer
    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

common chaffinch, (Fringilla coelebs), turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), rock sparrow (Petronia petronia), European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis).

White stork
Griffon vulture

Two species at least have been introduced to the shouf area for hunting and expanded their range into the reserve, the two species are:

griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), and the golden eagle
(Aquila chrysaetos).

  • Chukar
    Chukar
  • Common pheasant (male)
    Common pheasant (male)
  • Eurasian jay (but not ssp. atricapillus, which occurs in Lebanon)
    Eurasian jay (but not ssp. atricapillus, which occurs in Lebanon)
  • Blackbird (male)
    Blackbird (male)
  • Common kestrel (male)
    Common kestrel (male)
  • Golden eagle
    Golden eagle
  • European goldfinch
    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

European copper skink (Ablepharus kitaibelii), common toad (Bufo bufo), European green toad (Bufo viridis), Near Eastern fire salamander (Salamandra infraimmaculata), Hyla savignyi
.

  • Palestinian viper
    Palestinian viper
  • Mediterranean chameleon
    Mediterranean chameleon
  • Greek tortoise
    Greek tortoise
  • European copper skink
    European copper skink
  • Common toad
    Common toad
  • Green toad
    Green toad
  • Near Eastern fire salamander
    Near Eastern fire salamander
  • Hyla savignyi tree frog
    Hyla savignyi tree frog

Cultural heritage

  • The cedars:

The

The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest pieces of literature in the world, the cedars feature prominently. Gilgamesh has since been recognized as King Gilgamesh of history and in probability visited Mount Lebanon
.

  • Historic cultural sites:
Niha cave castle

The setting of the Shouf is a nexus of many cultures, religions, and historical events, all of which have left an imprint which makes the area's cultural heritage as rich as its

ecosystems
. The following are some major landmarks:

  • Qalaat Niha:

The cave castle of Tyron Niha relates to one of the closing episodes of Prince

Crusaders
, and a number of princes of Mount Lebanon.

  • El Nabi Ayoub:

A feretory was built on the hill above the village of Niha to honor Job's memory and hold his relics. Ayoub is the Arabic name of the

prophet Job
.

  • Qab Elias Castle:

This once powerful

Bekaa or Wadi al-Taym
.

  • Mazar El Sit Cha'wane:

El Sit Cha'wane is a famous figure in the Druze religion. Like Job in the Old Testament, she was held up as a model of virtue and devotion. A feretory was erected in her name.

See also

External links