Reducing Reforestation Costs in Lebanon: Adaptive Field Trials

Garabet Haroutunian,Richard El Riachy,David Chojnacky,Cindy Chojnacky

doi:10.3390/f8050169

Abstract

Lebanon’s Ministry of Environment initiated a project in 2009 to determine low-cost reforestation techniques for stone pine (Pinus pinea) and Lebanon cedar (Cedrus libani) for large-scale land rehabilitation activities in the arid Middle East. Irrigation (several techniques vs. no water), planting (8- to 18-month-old seedlings), seeding, and soil preparation methods were evaluated in three sets of adaptive management field trials. The aim was to reduce reforestation costs while still achieving sufficient regeneration. A key result for management was that non-irrigated seed planting of stone pine and possibly of Lebanon cedar showed promise for cost-effective reforestation and could be competitive with seedlings, given correct seed source and planting conditions. Stone pine seeds collected from nearby mother trees and planted without irrigation on sandy soil showed 35% survival for <600 USD/ha; seedlings planted without irrigation cost about 2500 USD/ha and achieved 50–70% survival (costs based on 800 seedlings/ha). Water supplements increased establishment costs over 2 years without concomitant improvements to survival. Future studies should evaluate how soil texture and soil preparation interact with other factors to affect seed germination and survival for each species.

Highlights

Historical records and pollen studies indicate Lebanon was once covered with great forests of conifers [1]
Methods of irrigation, planting (8- to 18-month-old seedlings), seeding, and soil preparation were evaluated for their ability to minimize reforestation costs while producing acceptable seedling survival (Table 1)
The analysis considered the treatments as fixed effects for testing but accounted for site effects as random effects so treatments across all sites could be reasonably assessed

Summary

Introduction

Historical records and pollen studies indicate Lebanon was once covered with great forests of conifers [1]. Prehistoric forests may have covered more than 70% of the country [2], but today forests are estimated at only 13%, and other woodlands at 10%, of the land area in Lebanon [3]. In the 7th century CE, people began to occupy the high mountains, cutting forests and grazing livestock that depleted seedlings. Forests have been cut for firewood and railroads; reduced by agriculture, lime furnaces, and lime quarries; and attacked by insects [1]. The Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) prompted urban migration to the mountains, causing further deforestation and land degradation [2]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion