Lebanon's historic pines are dying, one cone at a time
Reuters · 2 months ago
Reuters
2 months ago
In the heart of southern Lebanon, where pine trees once stood tall and abundant, a quiet crisis is unfolding. The cones are barren, the trees are drying out and a forest that was a lifeline for entire communities is under siege.
Breakdown
- Bekassine, Lebanon's largest productive pine forest, is seeing many pine cones turn barren, threatening local livelihoods. 5s
- Farmers initially blamed weather changes, but scientists identified the invasive Leptoglossus occidentalis insect as the cause. 37s
- The insect, originating from North America, likely arrived via untreated shipping pallets and has spread across the Mediterranean. 52s
- Climate change has made trees more vulnerable, and insect attacks can leave up to 80% of seeds empty, compared to the usual 5%. 1m 5s
- The number of pine nut harvest workers has dropped from over 200 to just 20-30 due to poor yields and declining pay. 1m 35s