Baseline Studies Assessment

Jabal Moussa - Moussa Mountain - is a dominating Mediterranean landscape sheltering relic forest associations. The forest communities are formed of Ostrya carpinifolia Scop and Fraxinus ornus L. populations and Quercus cerris and Q. callipinos Oliv. and Pinus brutia Ten. communities. The first two species are spontaneous, endemic and occupy limited surface area in Lebanon. These are found in Nahr Ibrahim, Nahr EL Deheb, Ehmej, Mchati et Wadi Eljamajem. The Ostrya sp. stands are recognized
for their biogeogrpahic value, being the Southern most limit of the species in Eastern Mediterranean.

The region, extending on 1250 ha and over altitudes ranging from 1200 to 1500 meter, is imprinted by historical records on anthropogenic activities and human interactions with Mediterranean forest. These human activities; transhumance, agriculture, felling of the forests, grazing, fire, terracing, urbanization, and pollution; have sculptured the past, present and will leave prints on the future landscape. The area can be considered as a mountainous repository for different plant associations harbouring important birds, mammals and insects species.

Being of high biological, landscape and socio-cultural value, the Mountain calls for an urgent need for the conservation and sustainable management of natural resources in order to leverage their direct and indirect use values. To attain successful conservation and management goals, baseline studies on flora and fauna richness are major pillars for the acknowledgement of Jabal Moussa conservation values and its declaration as nature reserve or natural site with specific features.