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In summer 2002, face-to-face interviews were carried across Lebanon with seventeen nursery managers. Production of woody plants from propagation to finished product does not commonly occur. Most frequently, woody taxa are imported from Italian and Spanish nurseries. Fertilizer studies were carried out on three species native to Lebanon that have ornamental attributes: Cercis siliquastrum, Acer syriacum and Malus trilobata. The fertilizer study aimed at determining the production potential of six sources of Cercis, two sources of Malus and one source of Acer, by exploring their growth, N, P, K nutrient uptake efficiency and partitioning under two fertilizer rates. Seedlings of all sources of Cercis grown under 25 had greater dry weight than those grown at 100 mg N per L. those of Malus under the low fertilizer rate were taller than those at the high fertilizer rate. Growth of Acer was not affected by fertilizer rates. Nutrient loading occurred in Cercis and Malus plants under the high fertilizer rate, although total plant N, P, and K content was not affected by fertilizer rate. Water use of container-grown plants and the impact of fertilization on water use were studied in these species. Water use estimates were made by saturating the containers early in the morning, allowing them to drain for one hour, weighing them and re-weighing approximately five hours later. Seedlings at the low fertilizer rate used more water per cm height than plants at the high fertilizer rate. In addition, there were differences in water use among and within seed sources of Cercis and Malus. One way to preserve these species is by propagation and reintroduction into appropriate habitats. Therefore, the relationship of nine species to soil and climatic conditions in eight sites along an altitudinal gradient was studied. Climatic data was collected and soil samples were taken and analyzed for soil texture, soil pH, EC, CaCO3, organic matter content and the following nutrients: Ca, Mn, Na, Fe, P, K, Cu, Mg, and Zn. Each ecosystem had a unique environment. Some species’ densities were affected by soil conditions while climatic conditions explained the densities of species. |
