Assessment of Forest and Juniperus Phoenicea Decline in Al Jabal Al Akhdar Using NDVI-Remote Sensing and GIS Data (2006-2013)

Abstract

Al Jabal al Akhdar, Locally known as the Green Mountain, located in Cyrenaica on the north east coast of Libya. It is a limestone plateau with maximum altitudes of about 900 meters, holds the highest plant density and species diversity within the country. Among these plants is the Juniperus phoenicea (JP) which covers about 70% of this mountain. It has been sharply deteriorated by unidentified causes over large scales. In this work, we have used remote sensing and GIS data to monitor vegetation vigor variations and study the drought related issues to forest and JP decline in the this area. The analysis of the collected data involved Topological, Geological and Geographical (TGG) data modelling over the selected area and within a period of eight years from 2006 to 2013. We have included two main data sets among few sets of satellite images that were employed in this study. The first data set was from the updated version of Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) DEM of ~90 m spatial resolution and the second data set from Landsat 7 and Landsat 8 Level 1T images of 30 m spatial resolution. The collected data were used to construct the images and figures, to monitor and map the forest and JP decline through the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and, then to illustrate the expected reasons and attributes for this decline. The study attributes the decline due to several specific indicators related to TGG inter-related factors including; altitude, slope, aspect, drainage pattern, topographic curvature, seawater intrusion, wind and soil erosions. The results were consistent and in a good agreement with several published data on the effect of topography, geology and geography on vegetation covers of similar terrain regions.

New Pottiaceae records to the moss flora of Libya

“…58, No.1 (2018) between the longitudes 20° 35′ E to 23° 15′ E and latitudes 30° 58′ N to 32° 56′ N in the North-East of Libya between Benghazi and Darnah ( Fig. 2) (Suleiman et al, 2016). This Jabal (mountain)…”

Investigation and Detection of the dieback on Juniperus Phoenicea trees in al-Jabal Al-Akhdar

“…Researchers employ a variety of methods, including visual inspection, sampling for laboratory analysis, and remote sensing by satellite imaging, to identify and examine dieback in these trees (Castellaneta, Rita, Camarero, Colangelo, & Ripullone, 2022: Valeriano, Gazol, Colangelo, González de Andrés, & Camarero, 2021: Suleiman, Mohamed, Hamad, & Elmehdy, 2016. In other studies, dieback in Phoenician juniper in Libya and the Arabian Peninsula similarly showed no sign of fungal infection and has been attributed to drought, induced by climate change and associated changes in microclimate (Fisher 2000).…”

Seven Brachytheciaceae (Musci) Species New to Libya

“…1). The collected mosses were found growing, on shaded coarse soil between rocks where water flows under trees below Wadi Kouf old bridge (Fig.2 (Suleiman et al, 2016). The Wadi Al-Kouf area consists of rocks and stones with high and low water levels and is rich in arborescent seed plants as: Ceratonia siliqua L., Juniperus phoenicea L., Olea europaea L., Quercus coccifera L., Pistacia lentiscus L. and Phillyrea latifolia L. Wadi Al-Kouf area is part of Al-Jabal AlAkhdar region.…”

“…The Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar is a limestone plateau 700 to 870 m above sea level with an undulating surface which tips gently to the south, stretches between the longitudes 20° 35′ E to 23° 15′ E and latitudes 30° 58′ N to 32° 56′ N in the North-East of Libya between Benghazi and Darnah ( Fig. 1) (Suleiman et al, 2016). This Jabal (mountain) is covered by arching Plateau built of upper Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments of limestone, subordinate dolomites and marls.…”