Jebel Akhdar (Libya)

This article is about the mountains. For the district, see Jabal al Akhdar.

Aljabal Alakhdar (Libya)

The Jebel Akhdar is Libya's wettest region. Annual rainfall averages between 400 and 600 millimeters.

The Jebel Akhdar (Arabic: الجبل الأخضر al-Jabal al-Akhḍar Arabic pronunciation: [ald͡ʒabal alʔaxdˤar], Italian: Gebel el-Achdar, English: The Green Mountain) is a heavily forested, fertile upland area in northeastern Libya. It is located in the modern shabiyahs or districts of Derna, Jabal al Akhdar, and Marj.

Geography

The Jebel Akhdar consists of a mountainous plateau rising to an altitude of 900 metres (3,000 ft), cut by several valleys and wadis. It forms the north-western part of the peninsula that sticks north into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Gulf of Sidra on the west, and the Levantine Basin on the east. It runs from Bengazi eastward to just east of Derna, fronting the coast for about 330 kilometres (210 mi). Due to erosion and deposition, the plateau is sometimes as much as 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) from the shore, but it forms cliffs on the headlands. The final uplift and arching of the plateau was completed in the Miocene.

The region is one of the very few forested areas of Libya, which taken as a whole is one of the least forested countries on Earth. The Jebel Akhdar is the wettest part of Libya, receiving some 600 millimetres (24 in) of precipitation annually. The high rainfall contributes to the area's large forests containing Chammari, and enables rich fruit, potato, and cereal agriculture, something of a rarity in an arid country like Libya. Camels, goats and sheep are herded in and around the Jebel Akhdar and the herders tend to be nomadic.

Biodiversity

Sparsely-forested area in the Al-Bakour escarpment of the Akhdar mountains

Morqes valley , Jabal alakhder , NE Libya is a mostly primary forests that hasn't been much contacted to humans deforestation .

Snowfall in winter , High elevation of Jabal alakhder are covered by snow in winter

In marked contrast to the aridity prevailing in most of Libya in Sahara , there are heavily forested areas in this region totalling around 3200 km², although approximately a third of the original forest has already been destroyed to make way for agriculture. In addition to the forests there are also large areas of maquis and steppe-like vegetation. Typical maquis species are the Phoenician juniper Juniperus phoenicea the mastic tree Pistacia lentiscus, the Kermes oak Quercus coccifera and the carob tree Ceratonia siliqua and European olive olea as well as many other species associated with , In the drier steppe-like areas, branched asphodel Asphodelus ramosus, prickly burnet Sarcopoterium spinosum and white wormwood Artemisia herba-alba predominate .

More than half of the endemic plant species in Libya are to be found in the Jebel Akhdar and, of these some are found only in the region for example : Arbutus pavarii, Arum cyrenaicum, Bellis sylvestris var. cyrenaica, Cyclamen rohlfsianum, Cynara cyrenaica, Onopordum cyrenaicum and Romulea cyrenaica , Between 100-300 floral taxa is endemic to the region , Humid dense Temperate coniferous forests occur at maximum elevations (600-900 meters) with precipitation of about 600-1000mm and occasionally more especially during rainstorms are areas of highest rainfall as well as snowfall with warm summer and cool wet winters containing Juniperus , a local isolated small population of atlas cedar , quercus , European hornbeam , populus , buxus sempervirens bay Laurel cherry Laurel , Mediterranean Cypress , pinus , fagus sylvatica , Malva arborea , Ulmus minor , Crataegus monogyna , berberis vulgaris , probably Acer , Celtis australis , ilex , prunus , Salix , rosemary , cistus , thymus , Crocus boulosii ,Chamaerops humilis , Carduus acanthoides , festuca , Rhus coriaria and many more are found throughout this forests but many other trees and shrub species are also occurring in other forest types , also forests densely occuring in areas associated with fluvial terraces , rivers , waterfalls , halophyte bushland , and mostly at riperian vegetation at limestone cliffs or valleys , Eastern and southernmost part of the region has a mix of African and Mediterranean vegetation including delonix , doum palm , ricinus communis , tamarix , cordia , Vachellia , Senegal date palm , moringa , commiphora , mixed with Mediterranean vegetation occuring separately in South and central of the range , , Additionally Oak and coniferous savanna are widespread in the region where it's an important habitat for endemic species , it contain coniferous and deciduous bushlands and perennials and annuals like Arundo , Hordeum , Dactylis glomerata , caper , cynara , drimia , Artemisia , bellis , arum cyrenicum , sedum , Ricinus communis , euphorbia , aloe vera , Rosa , rye grass , Bermuda grass , Salix , cyclamen rohlfsianum , Juniperus , ferns like Osmunda regalis and Isoetes longissima and probably Isoetes histrix in areas which grows in wetlands-streams and many other plant species occur in riperian areas and on Oak savanna similar to California oak savanna in landscape , with several Oak species but most notably quercus coccifera, quercus ilex , quercus suber probably occur in this areas

The landscape in The oak savanna vegetation look similar to This area .

There's large plains with Oak , prunus , Cypress with very flower-rich grasslands where insects and invertebrates are abundant and diverse and are a habitat for many endemic invertebrates and reptiles , Mediterranean forests and woodlands and scrublands as well as Mediterranean dry steppes forests and steppe-like vegetation occur at lower elevation below 500 m above sea level to sea level in some areas , generally , Forests increasing above 300 meters from sea levels , but in Ras El-halal or Cape El-halal forests are found down to sea level , Mangroves are tend to be rare in Libya but potentially occuring in Coastal areas in Jabal alakhder and nearby areas which may contain Avicennia marina , Coastal vegetation with halophytes including occasional grey mangroves can be found in the region . The endemism in Jabal alakhder region is considerably high with about with at least 7-8 mammals , tens or hundreds of invertebrates, 100-300 floral species and varieties and subspecies , at least two species of birds, several fishes and reptiles and possibly amphibians species and subspecies are endemic to the region , much of the local and endemic biodiversity remain unknown or poorly known to science, even much of years in past and current decade are keeping to be described, thought until now much of the floral biodiversity in all of Libya remain poorly known and poorly recorded which caused this region and local biodiversity is particularly poorly studied and potentially many of this species are waiting to be either described or recorded, It's expected to up to hundred of plants waiting to be described as native in Libya particularly in this region and nafusa region and other biodiversity-rich areas , Birds are rich in the region and are classified as an important bird area, wetlands and Rivers valleys with mountainous forests are ecologically important habitats, however the avian biodiversity knowledge in Libya though very diverse is poorly known and poorly studied and potentially many species resident and migratory are found in Jabal alakhder remain unrecorded there , so a full long-term research may help better understanding the ecology of the region The region is also highly threatened by desertification, deforestation for development and agriculture , climate change , overgrazing which destroy seedlings , forest fire have destroyed parts of the forest, Random construction and road development are all causing a serious threats for local biodiversity , The region largely need for growing native trees in the region where deforestation has happened and to stop desertification , and also making much more research for more knowledge about biodiversity in the region, This is also for all of Libya where biodiversity knowledge is poorly known and not protected which is needed to help maintaining the local vegetation from endangerment and eventual extinction.

Faunal diversity

The extremely endangered Scarturus tetradactylus is endemic to Coastal salt marshes of this region and some parts of western Egypt , About 7-8 mammalian species are endemi including sand gerbil , Cyrenaica shrew , rhinolophus horaceki , Microtus mustersi , Gerbillus vivax , Gerbillus grobbeni , The critically endangered Egyptian tortoise lives in the Southernmost tip of Dry woodlands of Jabal alakhder is the last habitat for remaining populations , also , barqa sheep breed is believed to have originated in the range which there became a very popular breed in North Africa . Typhlocaris lethaea is a very restricted range endemic freshwater shrimp to cave wetlands in Jabal alakhder Coastal forests with a small underground river flowing into the cave , There's Tens of arthropods and Molluscs are endemic to the region as well . The killifish Aphanius desioi is endemic to sulphur lakes in an area near the region , some other fishes and probably amphibians are endemic to the region but are extremely poorly studied , This groups of fauna is the poorest studied taxon in the region .

Temperate coniferous forests where most biodiversity occur , This area near Cyrene , Jabal-alakder .

The palm riverine forests in Crete are similar to those found in Jabal alakhder in areas where several species of palm occur .

The endemic arbutus pavarii is found exclusively in Green mountains , Where it forms pure and mixed forest stands .

many near-endemic mammals and reptiles are found such as Pipistrellus hanaki but some consider it endemic to the region due to variation , Pleasant gerbil , Four-toed jerboa , and Thin sand rat may be found in South dry steppes area . Historically and during roman times , There was Populations of North African elephant , west African crocodile , Nile crocodile , Persian deer , wild boar , hippo , dugongs , Bubal hartebeest , serval , atlas bear , Barbary lion , Barbary leopard , Barbary Cheetah , auroch , African wild ass , North African ostrich all have lived in the region until middle ages , Honey badger may have lived as well , Mediterranean seal may survive in very small numbers, a tiny remaining population of Barbary macaque survive in wadi al-kouf forest , Barbary sheep and Nubian ibex could be living in This mountainous slopes or May have gone extinct , crested porcupine and African wildcat and caracal , mountain gazelle , Cuvier's gazelle , rhim gazelle in Dry steppes and Dorcas gazelle and monitor can be found at low elevation, all are found in the region as well , much of the megafauna which includes large sized mammals and reptiles and birds have gone extinct , a plant known as siliphium is an extinct plant once inhabited Jabal alakhder and was a very important medical during prehistoric times and had the first extinction to be recorded by humans , although a population of this plant surviving in Turkey possibly belong to the plant species , The few surviving apex predators are striped hyena , African wolf , red fox This population possibly have a genetic variation than other population in native range of the world due to its isolation , golden jackal can be rarely found in the region , grey wolf may have lived in the region because This species lived in Egyptian nearby region but it was never certain presence in any Maghreb country , Avian ( Birds ) biodiversity is extremely poorly studied , as there's estimations of perhaps up to 50-80 species not being recorded as either native or vagrant may live in the region or in whole of Libya . Most of the Libya's fauna is found in Jabal alakhder with Exception of mostly desert-dwelling species which don't live in forests , but there's some species not yet recorded though they lived or living in the Green mountains . aardvark , aardwolf doubtfully may have lived in the region during past centuries as they living in much of Africa , including nearby areas which its range could overlap into here but still uncertain . The region Largely needs to be protected and much of the original forests have destroyed by several factors , A reforestation and protection of current remaining forests as well as reintroduction of rare and locally extinct species Must refresh the region from being vanishing Which would protect the endemic and near endemic , rare species from eventual extinction .

Ricinus communis along an elevation gradient in Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, Libya" January 2003 Ecologia Mediterranea 29(2):125-138 doi:10.3406/ecmed.2003.1547</ref>

History

Ancient

Documents created during the New Kingdom of Egypt record that to the west there were large populations of metal workers who lived in towns and had plentiful livestock. The only plausible location for these "Libyans" is the Jebel Akhdar.

The ancient Greek colony of Cyrene was located in a lush valley in the Jebel Akhdar, with the ruins remaining. It was the Greeks who introduced farming to the Jebal Akhdar when they colonised its verdant valleys in around 600 BC.

Italian occupation

During the Italian occupation these mountains were identified as a promising area for agriculture and many Italians moved here in the 1930s. This settlement was interrupted during World War II and the villages and farms were deserted and were later reoccupied by Libyans. The mountain chain was the site of major battles between the British Commonwealth and the Axis forces during World War II.

Liberation

The Libyan leader Omar al-Mukhtar used this heavily forested mountainous region to resist the Italian colonization of Libya for more than twenty years.

Notable people

• Mabrouka al-Tabiba, midwife

Galleries

Landscapes

• 
  Area near the centre of Jebel Akhdar, (The outskirts of the city of Bayda).
• 
  Eastern end of Jebel Akhdar, (near Derna).
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  Marj escarpment area.
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  Al Bakour escarpment area.
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  Al Bakour at the western end of Jebel Akhdar, near Taucheira).
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  An example of the severe soil erosion which can result from deforestation in the Jebel Akhdar (near Wadi el Kuf Bridge).

Persian deer , previously inhabited Jabal alakhder before European invasion to north Africa , which now extinct in all of north African countries that existed in .

atlas bear , an extinct bear was native to Jabal alakhder until 16-17th century .

Atlas bear , The former Apex predator of Jebel alakhder , Along with atlas mountains , This were the only places where bears exists together in Africa historically .

Wild boar are native to Jabal alakhder

Barbary macaque , A tiny population remain in the area , particularly in wadi al-kuf protected area Valley in temperate coniferous forests .

Flora

• 
  Quercus coccifera (Fagaceae)
• 
  Viburnum tinus (Adoxaceae)
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  Myrtus communis (Myrtaceae)
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  Ceratonia siliqua (Fabaceae)
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  Retama raetam (Fabaceae)
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  Pistacia lentiscus (Anacardiaceae)
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  Lycium shawii (Solanaceae)
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  Rhamnus lycioides (Rhamnaceae)
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  Juniperus phoenicea (Cupressaceae)
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  Artemisia herba-alba (Asteraceae)
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  Cichorium spinosum (Asteraceae)
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  Limoniastrum monopetalum (Plumbaginaceae)
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  Sarcopoterium spinosum (Rosaceae)
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  Crucianella maritima (Rubiaceae)
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  Suaeda vermiculata (Amaranthaceae)
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  Marrubium vulgare (Lamiaceae)
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  Cyclamen rohlfsianum (Myrsinaceae). Endemic species
• 
  Asphodelus ramosus (Asphodelaceae)
• 
  Pancratium maritimum (Amaryllidaceae)

Fauna

• 
  Striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena)
• 
  Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
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  Common genet (Genetta genetta)
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  Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon)
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  North African hedgehog (Atelerix algirus)
• 
  North African elephant shrew (Petrosaltator rozeti)

See also

• Mediterranean dry woodlands and steppe – lower elevations
• Mediterranean woodlands and forests – higher elevations