| The Cedar of Lebanon: Culture, History, and Ecology (by Rania Masri) Among the native tree species present in Lebanon, the most famous, most treasured species both nationally and internationally is the Cedar of Lebanon, known scientifically as the Cedrus libani. The Cedar of Lebanon is cited numerous times in religion and mythology. In addition to its significant role in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Cedar of Lebanon is regarded as a world tree in several mytholog ical passages. One deeply mythological passage sees the imperial nation, the embodiment of history, under the figure of something like a world-tree [Ezekiel 31.1-18]. The cutting of the cedar is seen as the destruction of world-empires - really, as the end of history. Our understanding of ecology, the dependence of human history on maintenance of the natural environment, simply makes this primitive insight explicit. Medicinally, the Cedar of Lebanon also made its mark. The pitch of the cedar was utilized for easing the pain of toothaches. The sawdust of the cedar puts snakes to flight, and thus makes sleeping under the shade of a cedar a relatively safe siesta. Furthermore, based upon historical analyses, it is believed that the cedar was used in the preservation of the corpses in Egypt. Naturally, both the religious and mythological recordings and the medicinal employment reflect the importance of the Cedar of Lebanon historically, and have contributed to making the cedar one of the most signifi cant tree species in world history. The Cedar of Lebanon aided society not only culturally but was the basis of numerous economies for ancient civilizations. The cedar had been used for the construction of temples, palaces, and boats. The export of cedar wood to Egypt was an important factor in the growth of Phoenician prosperity and provided capital to launch the more ambitious enterprises in international trading, navigation, and arts and crafts. The Phoenicians and the Egyptians were not alone in utilizing the cedar. The Assyrians, Nebuchdrezzar, the Romans, King David, King of Babylonia, Herod the Great, and the Turks in the Ottoman Empire all exploited the cedars. During the War of 1914-1918, most of the remaining stands were exploited and dest royed for railroad fuel. As a consequence, the extent of the cedars in Lebanon has dramatically declined. The Cedar forests at one time probably covered large areas in the mountains of the Near East. The ancient Mediterranean would look to our eyes like northern Europe today, with great coniferous forests in Lebanon, Turkey, and Corsica, and oaks and beeches in Italy. It is a general rule that when those northern climax forests are cut, they are replaced by a scrubby southern flora; most of the soil is lost, water cannot be retained, and the period required to restore the stable climax is unknown. Thus, based upon historical data and scientific estimates, the perennial springs of higher Lebanon today must formerly have been much fuller and more constant, the lower slopes green and moist. There may even have been greater annual rainfall through the recirculation of water on the western slopes by the transpiration of the forest. The forest and its animals were thought to be inexhaustible... and so blind deforestation continued until the wooded area in Lebanon became a mere 60,000 hectares, and the cedar only accounting for a small percentage. Now, the Cedar of Lebanon is limited to twelve stands, a total of approximately 1,700 hectares, a far cry from its previous flourishment over the conservative estimate of 81,000 hectares in Lebanon. Among all the conifers, the Cedar of Lebanon is one of the most majestic. The Cedrus libani is native to Lebanon and to the Taurus Mountains of Syria and Sou thern Turkey. A distinct relict population occurs in Northern Turkey near the Black Sea. The Cedrus libani is in the Pine Family (Pinaceae). The cedar is monoecious; it has unisexual flowers with both the male and female sex being borne on the same plant. The male inflorescences are solitary, erect, approximately 5 cm long, and occur at the ends of short shoots. The female cones are reddish and smaller, and can occur singly at the tips of the dwarf shoots. When mature, they are large, barrel-shaped, and break up while still attached to the branches. Female cones mature in the second year, requiring about 17 to 18 months for full development. Young cones are light green, mature cones dull brown. The branches of the young trees are often erect or a scending. The trunks of old trees are usually divided into several stout, erect branches, the side-branches being horizontal and sometimes extended for a considerable distance from the trunk. The shape of the tree, specifically the form of its trunk, changes depending on the density of the stand. When located in a high density stand, the Cedrus libani grows straighter, whereas when growing in a low density stand, the Cedrus libani develops its lower horizontal branches and spreads them out over long distances. The fruiting cones, which take two or three years to mature, are oval to oblong. On average, trees do not bear cones until they are 40 or 50 years old. Propagation is from seed. The seeds germinate in late winter, when either rain or snowmelt are still available. The Cedrus libani is most abundant and best developed on North-facing slopes, where the impact of radiation is less severe, but in wetter locations it grows equally well on the mountain sides exposed to the prevailing rain-bringing winds. In the Mediterranean, these slopes are facing the sea. Winter snow is an important source of water in the spring. Annual precipitation in Lebanon usually exceeds 1000 millimeters where Cedrus forests occur. The extensive soil erosion over the Lebanon range may have rendered the forest species more sensitive to atmospheric conditions, and the denudation of vegetation may have reduced the amount of cloud formation. Shade tolerance is generally low; cedars require abundant sunlight through out their life. Cedrus often forms pure, rather open forests, with only low undergrowth of grasses of low shrubs, but it is also mixed with other conifers and oaks. Present Situation of the Cedrus libani in Lebanon Currently, the Cedrus libani in Leban on is limited to twelve, separate stands. From north to south, these stands are: Jabal Qammoua forest, Wadi Jahannam in the Akkar area, Ehden, Bcharre, Tannourine-Hadeth, Jeij in the Jubail mountains of central Lebanon, and in the Jabal el-Barouk forest s of the Chouf mountains, Ain Zhalta/Bmohrain, Barouk, and Maasser el-Chouf. The areas are briefly described below, and Bcharre and Jabal el-Barouk will be discussed in further depth and detail. The Jabal Qammoua is a large forest area of several hund red hectares. It is highly degraded and only about 30 hectares are closed forest. It is a mixture of Cedrus, Abies cilicica, and Juniperus species, with Abies dominating on northwest and north slopes, and Cedrus on northeast and east slopes. Jabal Qammoua supports a high population of goats, which damage seedlings and the lower parts of trees. Ehden forest, located northeast of the village Ehden, is approximately 140 hectares of closed and well-protected forest. Ehden forest is floristically the rich est locality in Lebanon. There is very little sheep and goat-grazing. The Bcharre cedars, also known as Arz el-Rab [the cedars of the Lord] is the most famous stand of cedars in Lebanon. It comprises only 7 hectares, and contains the oldest and largest specimens of Cedrus libani, reported to be over 2000 years old. There is scant cedar reproduction. Mistakenly, the literature often suggests that it is the very last remnant of cedar forest in Lebanon. Bcharre cedars have been nominated as a World Her itage area by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon. Tannourine and Hadeth forests are located on Jabal Mar Moroune and Jabal es Sair between the villages Hadeth ej Joube and Tannourine et Tahta. They encompass about 200 hectares of forest of which only 85 hectares can be called closed. Jeij cedars, located above the village of Jeij, comprise a mere, but beautiful, 2 hectares. Jabal el-Barouk is located on the slopes of the central portion of the Mount Lebanon chain, at the southern-most limit of the cedarÂs growing range in Lebanon. It has the largest self-regenerating stand of the Cedrus libani in Lebanon. Jabal el-Barouk is comprised of three adjacent but separate stands of cedars on communal land belonging to the respective municip alities, and covering an area of about 3509 hectares. The forested area, however, covers a total of only 216 hectares, a mere 8.6% of the 3509 hectares. The cedars have adapted to the heat and dryness of the area by sending down deep roots. Every three years an abundant production of seeds allows the only significant natural propagation of this tree in Lebanon. It is one the last remaining areas in Lebanon were larger mammals such as the wolf and the wild boar can still be found, and where the ibex an d the mountain gazelle can be reintroduced. In addition, Jabal el-Barouk has been cited as an important bird area by BirdLife International. Closer Examination of Two Cedar Areas: Bcharre and Jabal el-Barouk In order to protect and manage the cedar, it is necessary to understand that aspects of the ecosystem are closely interlinked. For example, to manage the cedars of Bcharre, one needs to be aware of more than the mere 7 hectares of the area and the trees within that confine; water pollution, air po llution, soil erosion could all negatively contribute to the stress of the tree and thus lead to its weakening state. Simply, the environment of a plant may be defined as the sum of all external forces and substances affecting the growth, structure, and reproduction of that plant. Five main factors of the environment: climate, parent material, organisms, relief, and time. Utilizing this foundation and in an effort to obtain a general picture of the state of the cedars in Lebanon, two important cedar areas and the problems they face will be discussed in further depth: Bcharre, the oldest, most famous stand of cedar; and Jabal el-Barouk, the largest naturally regenerating cedar forest comprising of three separate cedar stands. Bcharre The much loved cedars of Bcharre are under significant stress. The symptoms and problems they face include: twigs die-back and desiccation; some needle spots and blotches; general weakness and malnutrition symptoms; desiccation and death of some trees; very poor cone production; rotting symptoms and wood decay of dying trees; abundant tunnels and mines on desiccated branches and dead trees caused by borers; absence or very poor presence of accompanying flora; absence of all kinds of beneficial birds; important weakness symptoms on all newly planted trees (10-30 years) caused by competition for light, food, and water due to the very high density of trees (4-5 trees/m2); severe engravings performed by visitors on bark of trees and huge wood cuttings left for fire setting during visits; presence of lichens on the bark of trees reaching high and non-beneficial levels in some areas; soil erosion;significant effect of grazing on seedlings and young trees caused by the goats; several trees hit and broken or uprooted by lightning and thunderbolts. The causal agents comprise one or a combination of factors of weakness, stress, and malnutrition. These factors are affected by age, drought; macro and micro element deficiency clear on young trees and older trees; soil erosion, and the previous irresponsible use of the forest. Armallaria species was detected; at worse, it could be a secondary pathogen of stressed trees. Also detected, but of little significance, were the Parasyndemis cedricola insect and Botryodiplodia fungus. Friends of the Cedars Committee at Bcharre is currently working on the protection of this cedar stand. The committee is starting a Cedrus libani nursery, plan to plant a new forest neighboring the stand on a 200 hectare surface. In addition, they aim to cultivate cedar understory plants, dig channels to drain stagnant water retained in the region neighboring the armyÂs casern, and transform the cedar stand into an eco-museum. The most beneficial act to manage and protect the cedars in Bcharre is simply to reforest cedars in the neighboring area, and to increase the cedar area from a 7 hectare stand to a several hundred hectare forest. Jabal el-Barouk Jabal el-Barouk is comprised of three adjacent but separate stands of cedars: Maasser el-Ch ouf, Ain Zhalta, and Arz el-Barouk. The forested area covers a total of only 216 hectares. Jabal el-Barouk has a fascinating, important history in regards to the management and current situation of the cedars. Jabal el-Barouk had been grazed extensively from the months of May to October by an estimated 2,000 goats. In addition, about every twenty years, the oak forests had been cut for commercial purposes, until 1960, when the Forest Department and the FAO began the reforestation efforts throughout Ja bal el-Barouk known as the Green Plan. Terraces were created throughout the forests of Jabal el-Barouk, and cedars were planted at relatively close, regular intervals, resulting in the reforestation of 52 hectares in Ain Zhalta. In 1975, reforestation e fforts stopped with the start of the war. Jabal el-Barouk was closed off to civilians and grazing in the forest was prohibited. In 1982, the Israeli army occupied Ain Zhalta. The Israeli occupation of Arz Ain Zhalta resulted in, among many other things , the spread of the war to the cedar forest, thus causing shrapnel damage and mortality to some cedars. More significantly, the Israeli army caused almost permanent destruction of close to 5% of the cedar forest due to the intense compaction by their heavy machinery and road construction. One of the main roads leading to Arz Ain Zhalta is used as a landfill for nearby villages. Trash is dumped by the truck-load, and then regularly burned to provide room for additional garbage. Not only does trash att ract insect and possibly pathogens, which may prove to be harmful to the trees, but trash fires may spread to the forest itself. Until now, the fires have been limited to the outskirts of the forest, and have not yet extended further. The potential for the spread of the fire exists, and therefore an alternative to the dumpsite and the burning needs to be created. Cedars in Arz el-Barouk have been infected with what is presumed to be a fungal disease. Stagheading and crown defoliation are the main symptoms. (Stagheading could be a physiological reaction to stress, and not necessarily a symptom of a fungus disease or infection.). Research on the fungal disease should be conducted to identify the disease, the cause, and the means by which to combat it. In addition, Arz el-Barouk is suffering from soil erosion. Research on the fungus disease and on the other environmental stresses the cedars are under, as well as providing an alternative to the waste disposal problem, would not be sufficient, regardl ess of how well they are implemented and managed. By concentrating finite energy and resources on the healing of a select number of trees in Arz el-Barouk, for example, energy would be diverted from the more beneficial and necessary remedy: reforestatio n. Jabal el-Barouk comprises an area of 3509 hectares; only 8.6% of this area is forested. Reforestation and rehabilitation of the entire area is indispensable. In an optimum situation, efforts should be concentrated on reforestation and researching the fungus disease. However, if choices need to be made, then reforestation should be chosen. As with any natural resources management plan, be it relating to Jabal el-Barouk, Bcharre, or any other area, the local community needs to be involved. One esse ntial mean by which to ensure the success of such plans, and thus the health of the Cedrus, is through cooperation and collaboration with nearby villages. The effective, long-term means to this goal is through education. | |
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