Atallah T. auteur aut IRD Rizk H. auteur aut IRD Cherfane A. auteur aut IRD Daher F. B. auteur aut IRD El Alia R. auteur aut IRD Lajudie Philippe de auteur aut IRD Hajj S. auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access In Lebanon, a country known for its biodiversity and plant richness, many threats including quarries endanger its natural habitats and ecosystems. With the objective of finding the most suitable legume-rhizobia associations for revegetation trials, we surveyed grasslands and shrublands in an altitudinal transect up to 1302 m in Mediterranean subhumid and humid regions. For comparison, two abandoned quarries on hard limestone were studied as well. Based on a number of criteria, the level of degradation of each site was estimated as: high, medium, or low. Sites submitted to a high degradation pressure presented a smaller number of species and lower ground coverage. The emphasis was put on the legume species encountered on these sites: 52 species were identified and separated according to their frequency. Of these, 18 target species were studied in the second season in terms of their habitat, frequency, and ground coverage. Ten common legume species were found regardless of the level of degradation. As the level of degradation increased, the number of annual legume species significantly decreased as well as their coverage coefficient, to the contrary of perennials. Spontaneous nodulation was encountered in individuals belonging to the genera Alhagi, Astragalus, Bituminaria, Calicotome, Cicer, Hippocrepis, Hymenocarpos, Lathyrus, Lotus, Lupinus, Medicago, Melilotus, Onobrychis, Ononis, Physanthyllis, Scorpiurus, Securigera, Spartium, Trifolium, and Vicia. The nodulation of Medicago coronata was reported for the first time. Individuals were better nodulated in medium-degraded sites as compared to high-degraded. Inoculated perennial (Calicotome, Spartium, Bituminaria) and annual legumes (Hymenocarpos, Onobrychis, Trifolium purpureum, T. campestre, T. tomentosum, Securigera, Physanthyllis, and Medicago polymorpha, M. minima) could be recommended as part of plant associations in revegetation projects. specialized annual legume species degradation nodulation rank perennial species quarry species frequency LIBAN 084 22 2 109-122 2008 1532-4982 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/PAR00002414 10.1080/15324980801957978 1532-4982 [F B010072625] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/PAR00002414 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/depot/2018-08-01/010072625.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2008-05-30 2018-08-17 PAR00002414 fre