Tannourine Cedars Forest

Covering 620 of hectares between Tannourine , Hadath el Jobbeh , Niha , Kfour el Arabe and Qnat, Tannourine Cedar Forest Nature Reserve lies in a splendidly beautiful area and protects one of the largest and densest cedar forests in Lebanon.

Geology:Tannourine cedars forest nature reserve presents two main geomorphologic units dating from the Jurassic (-200 to -145 million years). The upper unit to the east, where the land is terraced and used for annual crops, forms a mountainous area related to the black volcanic basaltic parent rock. The lower unit to the west, where cedar trees are growing, presents compact bluish white, karstic rocks of limestone. The hydrographic system in the lower unit shows a specific dendritic pattern, characterized by deeply dissected V-shaped valleys and a high number of micro-gullies along the slopes

Biodiversity:                  

Plant life: The forest harbors an approximate number of 520 plant species among which 23 are endemic species, 3 rare and 3 localized species.

Avifauna: 79 species of birds were confirmed as present in the reserve, of which 26 species breeding in the reserve. The reserve has been declared an IBA (Important Bird Area) region since 2006.

Mammals: 16 species of mammals belonging to 11 families are present in the reserve, most of which are of important conservation value on the national and international levels. Both the wild boar (Suss crofalybicus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are very common in the reserve

Reptiles and amphibians: A total of 4 amphibians and 17 reptiles have been inventorized in the reserve.

Mushrooms and Lichens: There is a large variety of mushrooms and lichens: 87 macrofungi species were found at the reserve in addition to 15 lichen species.

Insects and arthropods: The reserve houses a large number of insects exceeding thousands of species in addition to many arthropods which participate greatly in the activity of this unique ecosystem.

Outdoor activities include hikes through the reserve’s trails, stargazing, bird watching and snowshoeing in the winter season, as well as educational activities program for the schools and the universities.

Contacts:

Reserve House Office

Tel/Fax: +961 6 500550

Emails: info@arztannourine.org

tannourinecedars@gmail.com

Website: http://arztannourine.org/

Facebook page:Tannourine cedar Forest Nature reserve

Instagram: tannourine-cedar-reserve