Building the ecological and socio‐economic resilience of the Shouf Mountain Landscape

The largest of Lebanon nature reserves, Al-Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve, stretches from Dahr Al-Baidar in the north to Niha Mountain in the south. Blanketed with oak forests on its northeastern slopes and juniper and oak forests on its southeastern slopes, the reserve’s most famous attractions are its three magnificent cedar forests of Maasser Al-Shouf, Barouk and Ain Zhalta-Bmohary. These cedar forests account for a quarter of the remaining cedar forest cover in Lebanon.

All photos © Al-Shouf Cedar Society (ACS)

Building the ecological and socio‐economic resilience of the Shouf Mountain Landscape

The largest of Lebanon nature reserves, Al-Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve, stretches from Dahr Al-Baidar in the north to Niha Mountain in the south. Blanketed with oak forests on its northeastern slopes and juniper and oak forests on its southeastern slopes, the reserve’s most famous attractions are its three magnificent cedar forests of Maasser Al-Shouf, Barouk and Ain Zhalta-Bmohary. These cedar forests account for a quarter of the remaining cedar forest cover in Lebanon.

All photos © Al-Shouf Cedar Society (ACS)

Al-Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve is home to 2,000 year old trees and is a conservation haven for wolves, the Lebanese jungle cat, Nubian Ibex, 250 species of birds, 31 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 25 threatened species of wildlife. 520 species of plants grow within these forests, including 14 rare species. A popular destination for hiking and trekking, many visitors come to the Al-Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve for bird watching, mountain biking and snowshoeing. From the summit of the rugged mountains, visitors have a panoramic view of the countryside, eastward to the Beqaa Valley and Qaraoun Lake, and westward toward the Mediterranean. This area is also home to over 170,000 people living around the core zone of the reserve from 24 different municipalities that stretch out over two Muhafazat (districts).

Al-Shouf Cedar Society is working on a project that aims at understanding and mainstreaming knowledge on links between traditional practices and biodiversity, strengthening and improving governance systems, supporting the implementation of cultural practices in cultural landscapes.