Scientific studies

Long-eared Owl caught during ringing activity at Aammiq

Since the founding of A Rocha Lebanon in 1996, a great deal of scientific study has been undertaken and much has been learned about the flora and fauna of Lebanon and in particular the West Bekaa. Research has been conducted in the form of preliminary studies, short- and long-term projects and an ongoing monitoring program.

A number of short-term research projects have been carried out which have greatly increased the knowledge of bird life in Lebanon. These studies include

an autumn migrant bird survey (1998),
a survey of birds on the mountain slopes above Aammiq (1999/2000),
a survey of breeding birds in the reed beds of the Aammiq marsh (May 2000),
a study of the autumn routes of migrating raptors and other soaring birds in Lebanon (2000),
a study of the breeding ecology of the Pale Rock Sparrow (spring and summer 2000 and 2001),
a survey of wintering wildfowl and waders (winter 2000 and 2001),
a survey of breeding birds in the agricultural land of the Aammiq area (spring 2003),
a survey of roosting Harrier species in the reedbed (from 2004), and
a “bird inventory” for the Tannourine Cedars Nature Reserve (2005/6).

Masked Shrike (juvenile)

A longer term project is the search for Important Bird Areas (IBAs) which is being carried out with the Lebanese BirdLife International partner, SPNL. Together A Rocha and SPNL are surveying birdlife and general biodiversity at approximately 40 sites around the country between 2005 and 2007.

Surveys of other fauna include a two-year butterfly survey in 2000 and 2001, a dragonfly survey in 2002 and 2003, a fresh water invertebrate survey in 2002 and 2003, invertebrate surveys in 2003 and 2004, frog surveys in the Springs of 2004 and 2005, and a survey of reptiles and amphibians at Aammiq and elsewhere in Lebanon in Fall 2007.

A monitoring program which began in 2005 covers many aspects of the Aammiq biodiversity, including plants inside and outside grazed areas, waterfowl numbers at the springs, and cataloguing of all mammal and bird sightings. This includes species specific surveys to monitor the globally threatened Great Snipe, Corncrake and Pallid Harrier.

A Rocha Lebanon's ongoing research program provides extremely valuable information on the ecology of Lebanon and particularly the West Bekaa. Weekly bird surveys at two areas of the wetland are carried out as well as regular bird ringing in the reedbed. Nine new species for Lebanon have been discovered in the area since A Rocha Lebanon’s work began. A Rocha has been running the Lebanese ringing scheme (since 2001), ringing birds in the Aammiq marsh and on the nearby hillsides. To date, over 5700 birds of 85 species have been ringed, including 13 controls (birds which have been ringed in one place and are then caught in another). This program provides valuable data on breeding and migrating birds.

Hydrological study

Tree Frog

Staff gauges, weirs and piezometers were installed and ground water and surface water flows measured over the course of two years to construct a nearly complete water budget for the wetland. On the basis of work done, A Rocha Lebanon was commissioned by IUCN to write a chapter for the Mediterranean Center’s Resource book on Environmental Flow Concepts, Methods and Case Studies: "Assessing groundwater and surface water flows through Aammiq Wetland," R. Storey, October 2003.