1st Mediterranean Plant Conservation Week “Building a regional network to conserve plants and cultural diversity” Ulcinj (Montenegro) – 24-29 October 2016 Setting conservation priorities is a priority: case of Lebanese flora Magda BOU DAGHER KHARRAT Hicham el Zein Helen Waked Rana Jardak Rhea Kahale Laboratoire Caractérisation génétique des plantes - UR FGEM- Laboratoire de Germination et de Conservation des Graines « Jouzour Loubnan » Glacial refuge and endemism zones Médail F. & Diadema K., 2009. Journal of Biogeography, 36. Geology, climate, and human activities: the mould and sculptors of plant diversity Human activities Climate White F. & Léonard J., 2001. Flora et Vegetatio Mundi, 9. Geography, Geology, Geomorphology Carte topographique du Liban Mont - Liban Anti - Liban 3000 m Vallee de la Beqaa 2000 m 1500 m 1000 m Rodolphe GHSOUB, USJ – GreatMed - 2014 Mediterranean sea Mount Lebanon Bequaa valley Lebanon precipitation map Min-max rainfall 200 – 1400 mm/year Monthly average ToC 13 -27oC Quercus cerris forest The climate is Mediterranean with hot, non-rainy (humid on the coast, dry inland) summers and warm, moist winters. Hammada Group / Artemisia herba-alba Rodolphe GHSOUB, USJ – GreatMed - 2014 Bioclimatic zones The singularity of geomorphological regions give rise to different bio-climatic zones and several types of habitats, including several distinct semi-natural habitats that have evolved and adapted to anthropogenic activities and pressures. Altitude (m) Mediterranean 0 – 500 Thermomediterranean 500-1000 Eumediterranean Supramediterranean 1000 - 1500 1500 - 2000 Montagnard mediterranean > 2000 Oromediterranean Pre steppic mediterrannean 1000 - 1500 Mediterranean 1400 - 1800 Supramediterranean 1800 - 2400 Montagnard mediterranean > 2400 Oromediterranean (Abi Saleh 1978, Atlas du Liban 2006) Taanayel lac Ouyoun Ourghosh, 2800 m Horsh Ehden natural reserve Aarsal Anti-Liban Baskinta Vallées Quadisha valley Southern-most edge populations of many Ostrya carpinifolia “northern” species Fraxinus ornus Abies cilicica Juniperus drupaceae Malus trilobata Juniperus excelsa Cedrus libani Rhododendron Lebanon flora in a glance! 131 Families 826 Genera 2845 Taxa Species richness per Family. Genus richness per family Bou Dagher Kharrat M. et al., en préparation. Durmitor National Park, Montenegro Montenegro Lebanon 13,812 km² 10,452 km² 653 000 inhabitants 6 000 000 inhabitants Urbanized area raised 2,58 km2/year between 1963 and 2003 http://mappemonde.mgm.fr/num7/articles/art05305.pdf The fact that the country of Lebanon boasts the highest level of population growth is largely attributable to decreased infant mortality rates there. This growth has also been enhanced by the country’s ever expanding tourism sector which, along with influxes of refugees from neighboring countries, has made rates of net migration into Lebanon by far the highest in any country on the planet. • During the 2014 calendar year, statistics indicated that the country of Lebanon had a population increase of 9.37% as compared to the year before. This rate of growth positioned this Middle Eastern country within the top spot globally in terms of possessing the fastest population growth rate among any nation that year. Impact humain Croissance accrue de la population au niveau des cotes Population changes (1960-2000) and projections to 2030, for the main cities of the Mediterranean countries. • 80 % of the population is urban 60 % of the population is squeezed onto 8 % of the land in the narrow coastal zone. In Beirut 2 Major implications for the 1m = 1 000 USD in 1990 environment 1m2 = 6 000 USD In 1994 Urbanisation 2008 http://mappemonde.mgm.fr/num7/articles/art05305.pdf Quarries overgrazing Illegal harvesting of wild, aromatic & medicinal plants 22 Main threats HIPPO HIPPO Habitat destruction HIPPO Invasive species HIPPO Pollution HIPPO Human Population raise HIPPO Overexploitation Is it too late? Is it worth conservation? Each flora is UNIQUE Result of different evolutions pathways over millions of years…. Endemic species Paeonia kesrouanensis Berberis libanotica Rhododendron ponticum var. brachycarpum Acantholimon libanoticumAubrieta libanotica Iris anti-libanoticaAstragalus kurnet-es-saudae Is it too late? Is it worth conservation? Let’s set priorities 01 40 81 76 64 Determination of Important Areas for Plants and Creation of Micro-Reserves to Conserve Rare or Endemic Species in Lebanon. Grant 63257 2013 - 2016 Conservation approaches Species Habitat KBA IUCN red list IPA IBA …. Protected species Protected areas Component 1 : Training on Plant Identification Component 2 : IUCN redlisting of endemic species Component 3 : Identification of Important Plant Areas (IPAs) Component 4 : Creation of 3 microreserves Strategic directions 3 Plant identification : tools and challenges 16, 17 & 18 May 2014 51 participants / 14 institutions Shouf Biosphere Reserve – Tannourine Reserve - UL – BAU – APJM – LARI – Ministry of Agriculture – NDU – LIU – SPNL – UOB – CNRS – FAO - LRI Component 1 : Training on Plant Identification ✔ Component 2 : IUCN redlisting Component 3 : Identification of Important Plant Areas (IPAs) Component 1 : Creation of 3 microreserves Strategic directions 3 In the framework of the project “Determination of Important Areas for Plants and Creation of Micro-Reserves to Conserve Rare or Endemic Species in Lebanon” funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, The Faculty of Sciences, Saint Joseph University in collaboration with O-Life presents the workshop on IUCN Redlisting 16, 17 & 18 May 2014 @ Faculté des sciences, Campus sciences et technologies, Université Saint-Joseph Mar Roukoz, Mkalles Contact: [email protected] tél : 01 421 382 31 participants 15 institutions USJ – AUB – LAU – USEK – Green Hand – El ard – NDU – BAU – LARI – SPNL – University of Balamand – Lebanese University – IRAL – FAO - CNRS 200 taxons First national IUCN redlist Component 1 : Training on Plant Identification ✔ Component 2 : IUCN redlisting 85 % Component 3 : Identification of Important Plant Areas (IPAs) Component 1 : Creation of 3 microreserves Strategic directions 3 Important plant area criteria Criteria for the Definition of Conservation Areas Species richness + Trigger species Important plant area criteria Species richness + Trigger species Species richness Mouterde 1983 Historical data (<1980) Herbariums data 29848 observations Plant distribution Tohme & Tohme 2014 Recent data (>1980) Collectors data 27 (lebanon-flora contributors) Own data (Hicham new field visit's) 23700 records Historical data (<1980) Recent data (>1980) Important plant area criteria Species richness + Trigger species Important plant area criteria Endemic species Species richness + Trigger species Rare species Threatened species National Endemics Endemic species Levant Endemics Near East Med Endemics Trigger species Rare species V u Threatened species NT E N CR National Endemics Levant Endemics IPA index Almost final Near East Med Endemics Species richness Component 1 : Training on Plant Identification ✔ Component 2 : IUCN redlisting 85 % Component 3 : Identification of Important Plant Areas (IPAs) 99 % Component 14 : Creation of 3 microreserves Strategic directions 3 Plant Micro Reserve Ehmej Baskinta Sarada Area : 55 ha Area : 12 ha Area : 10 ha Religious Public Private Waqf Ehmej, Mont-Liban Iris sofarana Keserwana Endemic to Lebanon Site classé Quercus calliprinos, Laurus nobilis Official declaration of el dichar as “protected area” * *Site naturel “el Dichar” Plant Micro Reserve Ehmej Baskinta Sarada Area : 55 ha Area : 12 ha Area : 10 ha Religious Public Private Waqf Microréserve #3: Sarada, Sud-Liban Pollinisation par les abeilles Iris bismarckiana Graines d’Iris Determination of Important Areas for Plants and Creation of Micro-Reserves to Conserve Rare or Endemic Species in Lebanon. Grant 63257 Pr. Magda BOU DAGHER KHARRAT Mgr Chukrallah Hajj mars 2016 22 avril 2016 Réserve: Melkit Metropolit Georgios Signature on October 2016 Plant Micro Reserve Ehmej Baskinta Sarada Area : 55 ha Area : 12 ha Area : 10 ha Religious Public Private Waqf Microréserve #2: Baskinta, Mont-Liban October 2014 January 2015 Site naturel Sentier randonneurs accompagnees Jardin botanique prive Avril 2016 Station experimentale January 2016 Cumulative frequency of 1C-value for investigated taxa 1.0 1C (pg) versus Cumulative Frequency 0.9 0.8 very large >35 0.7 large 0.6 14 to 35 0.5 0.4 intermediate 54.69 pg/2C small 3.5 to 14 Fritillaria alfredae 0.3 1.4 to 3.5 Cumulative Cumulative Frequency 0.2 0.1 very small 0.0 0 <1.4 1 10 100 1C (pg) 0.28 pg/2C - M. Bou Dagher – Kharrat,et al., 2013, Plant biosystems, 147 Hypericum thymifolium (4): 1- 10. DOI: 10.1080/11263504.2013.861530 Endemic to Lebanon Paeonia mascula Paeonia kesrouanensis 2n=2x=10 chromosomes (Grèce) 2n=4x=20 chromosomes, 65pg/2C 2n=4x=20 chromosomes, 58pg/2C Bou Dagher – Kharrat, et al. 2013. Nuclear DNA C-values for biodiversity screening: Case of the Lebanese flora. Plant Biosystems. Odontites lutea 1.13 pg/2C Odontites lutea var. hispidula 2.22 pg/2C Bou Dagher – Kharrat, et al. 2013. Nuclear DNA C-values for biodiversity screening: Case of the Lebanese flora. 2013, Plant biosystems, 147 (4): 1- 10 Puschkinia scilloides Puschkinia scilloides var. libanotica 2n=2x=10 chromosomes, 13,25 pg/2C 2n=4x=20 chromosomes, 27,13 pg/2C Bou Dagher – Kharrat, et al. 2013. Nuclear DNA C-values for biodiversity screening: Case of the Lebanese flora. Plant Biosystems. Caractérisation écogéographique et génétique du genre Astragalus au Liban