Flora diversity and distribution across some Lebanese archeological sites.

With the aim of recording the present flora present across the Lebanese archeological sites, a survey including 15 different sites located in various bioclimatic regimes was conducted. The inventory documented 262 taxa from 32 families, encompassing 87 species and 75 genera. The most frequently occurring species were Cichorium intybus and Hyoscyamus aureus. Among the reported species, 14.95% were found to be endemic species to either Lebanon or the Eastern Mediterranean region, 2.35% were alien species, 28.73% were unique species; i.e. observed only in one site. This survey showed a first insight into the flora present in Lebanese archaeological sites and highlighted the role of these sites in harboring rich floral diversity. Thus, it is of fundamental importance to strengthen the conservation and protection efforts of the archaeological sites’ natural landscape and its sustainable utilization along the cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]