Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve is a

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

located in the

Keserwan District Keserwan District ( ar, قضاء كسروان, transliteration: ''Qaḍā' Kisrawān'') is a district (''qadaa'') in Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon, to the northeast of Lebanon's capital Beirut. The capital, Jounieh, is overwhelmingly Maroni ...

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

, on the shoulders of the western slopes of Mount Lebanon overlooking the Mediterranean Sea to the West. It covers an area of 6500 hectares, at an altitude ranging between 350 meters in the North-West and 1,700 meters to the South-East. Its main villages are:

Yahchouch Yahchouch ( ar, يحشوش) is a municipality in the Keserwan District of the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate in Lebanon. It is located 42 kilometers north of Beirut. Its average elevation is 670 meters above sea level and its total land area is 636 he ...

, Qehmez, Jouret el-Termos, Nahr ed Dahab,

Ghbaleh Ghbaleh ( ar, غبالة, also spelled ''Ghebaleh'') is a village and municipality in the Keserwan District of the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate in central Lebanon. It is located 42 kilometers northeast of Beirut. Its average elevation is 890 meters ...

, Ebreh, and Chouwan. Jabal Moussa and surrounding villages became part of the UNESCO Network of

Biosphere Reserves Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an intergovernmental scientific program, launched in 1971 by UNESCO, that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments. MAB's work engag ...

under the Man and Biosphere (MAB) program in 2009. As part of the MAB program, JMBR addresses human livelihood improvement and nature conservation through combining natural sciences with social sciences, economics and education. The Jabal Moussa mountain presents an exceptionally rich biodiversity, with more than 724 flora species, 25 mammal species, and more than 137 migratory and soaring birds species. In 2009, Jabal Moussa was designated a Globally

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

. Equally rich with cultural heritage, it portrays the interdependence of Man and Nature throughout history through various spiritual and historical sites dating back from the Phoenician, Roman, and Ottoman Periods.

Climate

Under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

, the reserve has a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

(Csa/Csb depending on the altitude), with mostly dry and warm summers and cool to cold, wet winters. The region's average annual rainfall is about 1350mm. The peaks of the Jabal Moussa mountain receive some snowfall during winter, however the snowfall melts after a few days.

References

{{reflist Biosphere reserves of Lebanon Important Bird Areas of Lebanon Forests of Lebanon Tourist attractions in Lebanon Keserwan District

Climate

See also

References