Plant biodiversity assessments in Byblos & Beirut coastal areas Pr. Magda BOU DAGHER KHARRAT
Biodiversity levels Different species Variation of life at all levels of biological organization". (Kevin et al. 2004) Species diversity
Human induced extinction due to an intentional or unintentional actions
Massacre des raies avril 2012! Crime écologique maritime à Tyr
3, 2, 1,.... Extinction! Extinction rates are now 100 to 1 000 times above normal, or background, levels. 1957 Tigre de Tasmanie, Éteint en 1936
Conservation approaches Species Habitat KBA IUCN red list IPA IBA. Protected species Protected areas
Protect species scientifically rigorous approach to determine risks of extinction Protected species
35 Biodiversity hotspots on earth Protect habitats Only 2.3% of world s land area > 50% of known plants Conservation International, 2005 42% of terrestrial vertebrate animals 9
The major refugia of plants according to phylogeography Médail F. & Diadema K., 2009. Journal of Biogeography,
Prioritization of endemic, threatened species and the habitats where they live is a crucial point of conservation actions. Prioritization
Ecological indicators Bioindicators Shelford s law of tolerance The existence and the abundance and the distribution of a species in an ecosystem are determined by wether levels of one or more physical or chemical factors fall within the range tolerated by the species. 75 C Trematomus sténotherm Pin sylvestre eurytherm -45 30 C -2.5 4.5 C 0 2
Eury steno
Disturbed ecosystems privilege «eury» species instead of «steno» species "weeds are plants that are especially successful at colonizing disturbed, but potentially productive, sites, and at maintaining their abundance under conditions of repeated disturbance" (Liebman, Mohler and Staver 2001, Resources). Invasive species Alien species Plant distribution - endemic
VULNERABILITY HAZARD RISK Plant species and habitats vulnerability Biodiversity vulnerability index (BVI) Habitat fragmentation hazard index (HFI) HNS hazard index (HNS) Habitat fragmentation risk index (BVI HFI) HNS risk index (BVI HNS) Coastal vulnerability to oil pollution Environmental sensitivity index (ESI) BVI + ESI Shoreline exposure index to oil (SEI) Oil spill risk index (BVI ESI) SEI
Lebanon coastline 230 Km of linear sea shore The coastline is divided between sandy or pebbly beaches and rocky micro-cliffs. Dune ecosystems have nearly disappeared, except in the south of Sour. National Physical Master Plan of the Lebanese Territory - DAR IAURIF - 2005
20 Km along the coastline 12.54 Km along the coastline Byblos 1.45 km width 100 m Lebanon case studies Beirut 2.5 km width 0-80 m
Beirut Byblos Land cover land use Natural and semi natural habitats
Beirut Byblos 21
20 Km along the coastline 12.54 Km along the coastline Beirut 2.5 Km width Byblos 1.45 Km width No Beirut Byblos Nb of cells 50 19 Nb of habitats 10 11 Nb of sampled plot/cell (min - max) 0-5 1-15
BEIRUT BYBLOS Habitat Types Description Habitat Types Description 311a 312a Dense pine forest Dense forest of oaks (Quercus spp) 313 Dense mixed forest 313 Dense mixed forest 322a Sparse forest of oaks 322a Sparse forest of oaks 322b Other type of open deciduous forest 323 Sparse mixed forest 323 Sparse mixed forest 331 Shrubby vegetation 331 Shrubby vegetation 332 410 Shrubby vegetation (with scattered tree) 332 Medium dense herbaceous vegetation 410 Shrubby vegetation (with scattered tree) Medium dense herbaceous vegetation 630r Rocky beach 630r Rocky beach 630s Sole beach 630s Sole beach 650 Rocky outcrop 650 Rocky outcrop 23
Plant screening All the habitats types in the study areas should be sampled : At least 1 plot by cell should be sampled. Field visits 2014-2015 Plot size 3m 3m
Beirut Byblos Number of plots selected 56 67 Number of plots sampled 34 63 Unsampled plots Unaccessible zone 10 (security isuue) 2 (security issue) Military zone 11 2 Destroyed ecosystem 1
Number of Species sampled Beirut Byblos 263 279 Including Systematic sampling of Dalieh Beirut M. El Zein unpublished data El Zireh island - Byblos Vela & Vela 2015
Indicators used for calculating the Biodiversity Vulnerability Index Species diversity Log (species richness)/log (terrestrial surface) (BVI) Species of high conservation value Log (high conservation value species richness) / Log (terrestrial surface) IUCN redlisted species, Diversity of natural and seminaturals habitats Shannon index Habitats of high conservation value Directive habitat, CORINE, IUCN habitat Relative cover of habitats of conservation value
Species diversity SD Log (species richness) / Log (terrestrial surface) 12 species 9 species 14 species 35 espèces SD cell1 = xxx SD Lowest SD 1 Medium SD 2 Highest SD 3
Ideally Cell1 Cell 2 3 plots 4 plots 24 species 65 species Cell 3 2 plots 18 species SR1 SR2 SR3 In reality
Ideally Cell1 Cell 2 3 plots 4 plots 24 species 65 species Cell 3 2 plots 18 species SR1 SR2 SR3 In reality 24 species 12 species 9 species SR1 SR2 SR3 Extrapolation for the same habitats? Regardless of its surface?
Habitats content BEIRUT HABITAT 410 323 313 630R 630S 650 332 331 322A PINE (OPEN) QUERCUS (OPEN) PLOT 12 1 1 3 1 1 4 3 1 1 1 SPECIES 123 21 24 48 2 36 71 57 15 17 18 100% 10.40% 4.20% 5.30% BYBLOS HABITATS 410 630R 331 331 DENSE 322A 650 332 312A PLAGE DE GALET 410 DENSE 410 NORMAL PLOTS 33 10 1 1 4 6 3 6 1 2 4 SPECIES 205 75 12 28 81 86 55 88 0 25 66 100% 0 0 6.20% 1.20% 3.60% 3.40% 20% 6.10% BEIRUT + BYBLOS HABITATS 410 630R 331 331 DENSE 322A 650 332 312A PLAGE DE GALET 410 DENSE 410 NORMAL PINE 630S 323 313 PLOTS 45 13 4 1 5 7 7 6 1 2 4 1 1 1 1 SPECIES 244 110 66 28 84 102 107 88 0 25 66 17 2 21 24 100 4.80% 3.40% 20% 6.10% QUECUS OPEN 31
Is there a significant relation between habitat surface and species number found? No
Comparaision of species composition between different plots in the same habitat Plot1 Plot2 Plot3 Plot4 plot5 plot6 Total Sp1 x x x x 3 Sp2 x x 2 sp3 x x 2 Sp4 x x 2 Sp5 x x x 3 Sp6 x x 2 sp7 x x x x x 5 Total 4 4 3 3 3 3 Extrapolation is not possible: - Habitat are not really comparable in terms of species composition - Habitat have «comparable» species numbers Each habitat type could be characterized by the mean species number of all the plots sampled.
Species diversity SD Log (species richness) / Log (terrestrial surface) SD Lowest SD 1 Medium SD 2 Highest SD 3
Species of high conservation value SHCV Log (high conservation value species richness) / Log (terrestrial surface) Conservation value Endemic (E) Strict endemic 2 Regional endemic 1 Rare (R) 1 Threatened (T) 2 E + R 3 E + T 4 R + T 3 E + R + T 4-5 SR 1 < x < 2 1 2 < x < 3 2 4 < x < 5 3
Biodiversity Vulnerability Index BVI Species diversity SD Species of high conservation value Diversity of natural and seminaturals habitats Habitats of high conservation value SD + SHCV + DH + HCV = SD 1 2 3 SHCV BVI SHCV HCV HCV 1 2 3 1 2 3 DH DH 1 2 3 BVI 4 5 6. 11 12
VULNERABILITY HAZARD RISK Plant species and habitats vulnerability Biodiversity vulnerability index (BVI) Habitat fragmentation hazard index (HFI) HNS hazard index (HNS) Habitat fragmentation risk index (BVI HFI) HNS risk index (BVI HNS) Coastal vulnerability to oil pollution Environmental sensitivity index (ESI) BVI + ESI Shoreline exposure index to oil (SEI) Oil spill risk index (BVI ESI) SEI