Ecology and impacts of insect communities on Lebanese cedar Cedrus libani A. Rich.

Over the past thirty years, there has been a global observation of the expansion of the geographic range of key forest insect pests due to rising winter temperatures. Significant challenges have been posed to Cedar forest reserves, which are distinctive of the Mediterranean Montane zone and are valued for their biological, cultural, historical, and social significance worldwide. The survival of numerous significant Cedar forests in the Lebanese mountains is currently under threat due to the Cedar web-spinning sawfly outbreak that devastated 70% of one of the greatest populations of these forests (Tannourine forest) in the late 1990s. This study investigates the expanding geographic range of insect pests and assesses the ecological impact on Cedrus libani. Through a comparative analysis, we identify pest-hosting cedar species and evaluate the correlation of insect populations. Drawing from ecological data and pest control studies, we propose practical measures to protect Lebanon's cedar forests.