Forests of Syria
Encyclopedia
The forestry in Syria
are confined to the coastal mountain ranges, which stretch in an uninterrupted chain from the borders of Turkey
to Lebanon
, parallel to the Mediterranean Sea
. The forested area of Syria has dropped from 20000 square kilometre in 1911 to 7500 square kilometre in 1947. In 2010, it has been estimated at around 4500 square kilometre or 2.55 percent of Syria's total area.
and firewood
, overgrazing
and repeated forest fires
.
exists the Kurd-Dagh
forest range, a small composition located to the northwest of Aleppo
. Kurd-Dagh
is practically denuded as the result of unrestrained logging during World War I
. It is reduced to coppice of Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera), with occasional Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis) and European Black Pine (Pinus nigra).
In the northwest, near the borders with Turkey's Hatay province
, the two forests of Baer and al-Bassit
cover a total area of about 25000 hectare. They form the principal forest block in Syria. The Bassit, close to the coast, is covered with fairly dense stands of Aleppo pine. The forest was ravaged by fire. The Baer, situated at the higher altitude of 800 metres (2,624.7 ft) is covered with Aleppo pine, Turkey oak (Quercus cerris) and Vallones oak. The forest is mostly protected from logging but, around the edges, wood is removed for use in tobacco-drying plants.
The Al-Ansariyah mountains
range runs parallel to the coast, rises to 1500 metres (4,921.3 ft) and stretches for 100 kilometres (62.1 mi) down to the Homs Gap. The mountain crests are covered with uniform stands of deciduous
oaks of commercial value. There are several isolated pockets of Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani), Cilician fir (Abies cilicica
) and juniper (Juniperus excelsa
). Where the elevation drops to 800 metres (2,624.7 ft) evergreen
oaks occur in pure stands. The forests of al-Ansariyah mountains cover a total area of about 20000 hectare.
The inland mountain ranges are almost entirely deforested. The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) and the Pistachio
tree are the only tree species of the Syrian desert
. The latter forms open stands containing only a few trees per hectare
, but extending over enormous areas in two places in the Syrian desert: Abd-el-Aaziz mountain in al-Jazira
and Bilas mountain in the Palmyra
region.
laws. All forested land belonged to the Sultan. After the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, ownership devolved on the Syrian State.
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
are confined to the coastal mountain ranges, which stretch in an uninterrupted chain from the borders of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
to Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, parallel to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. The forested area of Syria has dropped from 20000 square kilometre in 1911 to 7500 square kilometre in 1947. In 2010, it has been estimated at around 4500 square kilometre or 2.55 percent of Syria's total area.
History
In ancient times, Syria was richly forested. Many of the forests have been depleted and thinned by overuse of wood for timberLumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
and firewood
Firewood
Firewood is any wood-like material that is gathered and used for fuel. Generally, firewood is not highly processed and is in some sort of recognizable log or branch form....
, overgrazing
Overgrazing
Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, or by overpopulations of native or non-native wild animals.Overgrazing reduces the...
and repeated forest fires
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
.
Regions and species
In northern SyriaSyria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
exists the Kurd-Dagh
Kurd-Dagh
Kurd-Dagh or Kurd Mountain , also called Aleppo Mountain , is a highland region in northwestern Syria and southeastern Turkey. It is located in the Aleppo Governorate of Syria and Kilis Province of Turkey.-Location and description:Mount Kurd is part of the Limestone Massif of northwestern Syria...
forest range, a small composition located to the northwest of Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
. Kurd-Dagh
Kurd-Dagh
Kurd-Dagh or Kurd Mountain , also called Aleppo Mountain , is a highland region in northwestern Syria and southeastern Turkey. It is located in the Aleppo Governorate of Syria and Kilis Province of Turkey.-Location and description:Mount Kurd is part of the Limestone Massif of northwestern Syria...
is practically denuded as the result of unrestrained logging during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It is reduced to coppice of Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera), with occasional Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis) and European Black Pine (Pinus nigra).
In the northwest, near the borders with Turkey's Hatay province
Hatay Province
Hatay Province is a province in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast. It is bordered by Syria to the south and east and the Turkish provinces of Adana and Osmaniye to the north. The province is part of Çukurova, a geographical, economical and cultural region that covers the provinces of...
, the two forests of Baer and al-Bassit
Ras al-Bassit
Ras al-Bassit is a small cape located north of Latakia, Syria on the Mediterranean Sea. The cape is a popular resort destination and the coastline is unusual for its distinctive black sand beaches.-History:...
cover a total area of about 25000 hectare. They form the principal forest block in Syria. The Bassit, close to the coast, is covered with fairly dense stands of Aleppo pine. The forest was ravaged by fire. The Baer, situated at the higher altitude of 800 metres (2,624.7 ft) is covered with Aleppo pine, Turkey oak (Quercus cerris) and Vallones oak. The forest is mostly protected from logging but, around the edges, wood is removed for use in tobacco-drying plants.
The Al-Ansariyah mountains
Al-Ansariyah mountains
An-Nusayriyah Mountains also known as al-Alawiyeen Mountains , both names refer to the Alawi sect which has traditionally lived there, and the Syrian official name, Coastal Mountain Range ; are a mountain range in northwestern Syria running north-south, parallel to the coastal plain...
range runs parallel to the coast, rises to 1500 metres (4,921.3 ft) and stretches for 100 kilometres (62.1 mi) down to the Homs Gap. The mountain crests are covered with uniform stands of deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
oaks of commercial value. There are several isolated pockets of Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani), Cilician fir (Abies cilicica
Abies cilicica
Abies cilicica, or Cilicia Fir, is a species of conifer in the Pinaceae family.It is found in Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey.In 2009 at Berenice Troglodytica, the Egypto-Roman port on the Red Sea, archaeologists found: "two blocks of resin from the Syrian fir tree , one weighting about 190 g and the...
) and juniper (Juniperus excelsa
Juniperus excelsa
Juniperus excelsa is a juniper found throughout the eastern Mediterranean, from northeastern Greece and southern Bulgaria across Turkey to Syria and the Lebanon, and the Caucasus mountains. A subspecies, J. excelsa subsp...
). Where the elevation drops to 800 metres (2,624.7 ft) evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
oaks occur in pure stands. The forests of al-Ansariyah mountains cover a total area of about 20000 hectare.
The inland mountain ranges are almost entirely deforested. The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) and the Pistachio
Pistachio
The pistachio, Pistacia vera in the Anacardiaceae family, is a small tree originally from Persia , which now can also be found in regions of Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Sicily and possibly Afghanistan , as well as in the United States,...
tree are the only tree species of the Syrian desert
Syrian Desert
The Syrian Desert , also known as the Syro-Arabian desert is a combination of steppe and true desert that is located in the northern Arabian Peninsula covering 200,000 square miles . also the desert is very rocky and flat...
. The latter forms open stands containing only a few trees per hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
, but extending over enormous areas in two places in the Syrian desert: Abd-el-Aaziz mountain in al-Jazira
Al-Jazira, Mesopotamia
Upper Mesopotamia is the name used for the uplands and great outwash plain of northwestern Iraq and northeastern Syria and southeastern Turkey which is known by the traditional Arabic name of Al-Jazira , variously transliterated into Roman script as Djazirah, Djezirah and Jazirah...
and Bilas mountain in the Palmyra
Palmyra
Palmyra was an ancient city in Syria. In the age of antiquity, it was an important city of central Syria, located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus and 180 km southwest of the Euphrates at Deir ez-Zor. It had long been a vital caravan city for travellers crossing the Syrian desert...
region.
Ownership
The legal standing in Syria regarding timber and forests is rooted in OttomanOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
laws. All forested land belonged to the Sultan. After the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, ownership devolved on the Syrian State.
See also
- Cedars of GodCedars of GodThe Cedars of God is one of the the last vestiges of the extensive forests of the Cedars of Lebanon that thrived across Mount Lebanon in ancient times. Their timber was exploited by the Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians as well as the Phoenicians...
(Lebanon) - Ajloun Forest ReserveAjloun Forest ReserveThe Ajloun Forest Reserve is a nature reserve located in the Ajloun Governorate in north-west Jordan. Established by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature in 1988 in the area around the village of Umm Al-Yanabi, it comprises an area of...
(JordanJordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, near Syria) - Dibeen Forest ReserveDibeen Forest ReserveDibeen Forest Reserve is a nature reserve located in the north-west of Jordan. It is situated just south of the Roman site of Jerash and covers an area of of rolling hills covered with pine–oak habitat...
(Jordan, near Syria) - Forests of Kurdistan