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 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 , May also Acer , Celtis australis , ilex , prunus , Salix , Chamaerops humilis , rosemary , cistus , thymus , Chamaerops humilis , Carduus acanthoides , and many more trees are found throughout this forests but many other trees and shrub species are also occurring also forests densely occuring in areas associated with fluvial terraces , rivers , waterfalls , halophyte bushland , and mostly at riperian vegetation at cliffs or valleys , Eastern 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 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 from nearby areas grow in wetlands 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 may occur in 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 and not protected which is needed to help maintaining the local vegetation from endangerment and 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).
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  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)
• 
  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