ABSTRACT
Lebanon is part of the Mediterranean basin, a region that harbors a large percentage of endemic plant species and is recognized as one of the 34 world hotspots for plant diversity in need of conservation support. The Lebanese natural landscape is unique in its immediate context in that it is mostly mountainous and is considered part of a global hotspot with an estimated floristic richness of 2,600 vascular plant species of which 311 are either nationally or regionally endemic. Lebanon's low altitude coastal woodlands consist of Mediterranean sclerophyllous evergreen vegetation occupying semi-natural habitats and presenting various levels of degradation. The predominant species are pistachio, oak, and carob all of which have evolved to withstand drought and high summer temperatures. Lebanon has many unique formations that are especially vulnerable to climate change risk, such as the cedar forests. The climate change impacts include modifications in: population physiology, ecosystem phenology, and geographical distribution of specie.
