Ecologia Mediterranea

E. SATTOUT, D. LICHAA-EL KHOURY & D. CHOUEITER
quadrats while 6.6% and 28.5% for non-permanent
quadrats. The observed and noted differences
between the sub-regions reveal a
high dissimilarity in floristic composition,
even in regions with the same forest type. This
dissimilarity makes the region a medley of
various plant associations.
Composition and structure of forests
P. brutia with its associated understorey dominates
the Hrar forest community. Q. calliprinos
mixed with Phillyrea media L. and P. brutia
dominate the Jayroun forest while other
tree species are sparsely mixed in the Q. calliprinos
population. P. brutia dominates
Qemamine. Q. calliprinos, P. palaestina, Q.
infectoria, Arbutus andrachne, and Styrax
officinalis L. comprise the tree community.
Jayroun is shelter to a mixed forest of P. brutia,
Q. calliprinos and Q. infectoria. Encountered
in this region are other scattered tree
species such as Acer syriacum Boiss. &
Gaill., A. andrachne, and Cercis siliquastrum
L. The presence of P. brutia dominates the
area. Q. calliprinos and P. palaestina are
found at a higher frequency mix than Q. infectoria,
S. officinalis, and A. andrachne. The
tree community in Michmich is mainly composed
of mixed populations of A. cilicica, C.
libani; J. drupacea, J. foetidissima, J. excelsa
and J. oxycedrus.; S. officinalis, Acer sp., and
J. oxycedrus. The tree populations are scattered
within the mixed community, mainly
slightly differentiated in the different sub-
Figure 2 – Dominance of tree species in the vegetation communities growing in the different regions.
88
regions by the dominance of either J. excelsa
or C. libani, or A. cilicica (Figure 2).
The forest structure in the different regions
recorded a variety in terms of demographic
profiles. In Hrar, the age structure revealed the
presence of three age categories of P. brutia
and an equal percentage of non-bearing and
bearing trees was also observed. The results
revealed that the area’s lumbering practices on
juvenile trees have influenced the dominance
of mature trees (Figure 3a).
The Jayroun forest communities showed a
mixture of different age categories for coniferous
and deciduous tree species. Q. calliprinos
followed by the presence of P. media
mainly dominate the region while other
species are mixed at an equal frequency. The
presence of all three categories of most of the
tree species thriving in the area reveals the
existence of dynamic processes between the
plant communities growing in this region. The
high dominance of juvenile/young trees of Q.
infectoria and the low dominance of mature
trees expresses the high influence of charcoal
production and grazing practices over hundreds
of years (Figure 3b). In the Qemmamine
Valley, juvenile trees, especially
those of Q. calliprinos, P. palaestina, and S.
officinalis, dominated the population’s age
structure. These young populations reveal the
regular practices of lumbering for either
household use or charcoal production (Figure
3c). At higher altitudes, the dominance of
mature age structures for most of the coniferous
tree species (A. cilicica, C. libani, J. foe-
ecologia mediterranea – Vol. 38 (2) – 2012