4 The Asiatic cheetah is one of the most endangered species in the region and is currently confirmed to live in Iran while in the past it lived in India and the Arab region. [...] Most of those species also disappeared from 90% of their desert habitats such as the addax, dama gazelle, and the Saharan cheetah, all of which are subject to extinction.23 In the Levant, several mammals that existed during the Roman era went extinct, including tigers, gazelles, and wild goats in addition to the Syrian bears.24 The Israeli occupation of Palestine led to the extinction of several s. [...] Also, the construction of the separation wall disrupts the flow of biodiversity and blocks the natural movement of several species, especially large mammals.25 The decline of biodiversity is related to global production and consumption modes. [...] This is demonstrated in the intensive cultivation of quina and pine trees in the Hebron mountains and northern Negev Desert, the construction of settlements on green spaces and protected areas, road construction, the construction of the separation wall, the draining of several lakes and marshlands such as Lake Hula, and transferring several animals from their natural habitats such as wild boars. [...] In fact, Morocco is home to the biggest cedar forest in the Mediterranean basin and its Maamoura forest is 29 one of the world’s biggest in the production of non-timber products and the 30 world’s largest cork oak forest (60,000 hectares).
- Pages
- 11
- Published in
- Lebanon
