Zuheir Shater (1), Bassam Al-Saleh Al-Abed (2) and Hala Mansour*(1)
(1). Professor, Department of Forestry and Environment, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Syria.
(2). Lecturer, Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Syria.
(*Corresponding author: Hala Mansour, hala18mansour6@gmail.com )
Received: 16/1/2024 Accepted: 2/6/2024
Abstract:
This research aims to study the invasive activity of the tree-of-heaven Ailanthus altissima in Latakia Governorate, to determine the invasion risk, and to contribute to providing proposals to control it before it turns into a problem that costs the country a lot of effort and money. The spots of this species were identified through field tours that covered the governorate during the period 2022-2023. The sites where this species spread were identified and their environmental conditions (height above sea level, slope, exposure, nature of habitat) were described. The recorded spots were characterized in terms of area, number of individuals, and forest characteristics (diameters, heights, density). Four invasion severity degrees were identified based on this description. 102 spots, distributed throughout the entire Latakia Governorate, have been registered. The area of each spot ranged between 10 m2 and 25 hectares. The recorded spots were distributed from the sea level (Wadi Qandil and Ras Ibn Hani) to 1255m (Slenfe), and at various exposures and slopes. The spots were spread across six types of habitats: building sides, highway sides, home gardens, forest edges, waterways, and agricultural land. The number of spots with very high invasion risk reached 24, most of which are located in the Slenfe, while the number of spots with low risk was only 5. These results call for urgent measures to be taken by the authorities to stop the spread of this species, especially in high-risk hotspots, and to monitor other spots.
Key Words: Plant Invasive species, Ailanthus altissima tree, Environmental conditions, Plant Invasion risk.
Full paper in Arabic: PDF