Salma N. Talhouk 

Associate professor

Department of Plant Sciences

Email: ntsalma@aub.edu.lb

Education and professional experience

Associate Professor of Horticulture                           

American University of Beirut

Assistant Professor of Horticulture

American University of Beirut

Post-Doctoral Research Scientist   

Research Project: Molecular mapping of male sterile genes in tomato

Plant Gene Expression Center, USDA – Albany, California

Post-Doctoral Research Scientist   

Research Project: Involvement of Actin in the replication

of Autographa californica M Polyhedrosis virus

Dept. of Entomology and Parasitology, Univ. of California, Berkeley

Doctor of Philosophy in Horticulture                                     

Field of study : Landscape Horticulture Dissertation: Impact of Water Deficit and Defoliation on the Physiology of Birch (Betula) Clones and Performance of Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar L.) Ohio State University

Honors: Phi Beta Delta - Honor Society for International Scholars Gamma Sigma Delta - Honor Society of Agriculture

Research interest

My primary interest is the conservation of the native Lebanese flora. Located on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, Lebanon falls in a recognized center of diversity, with 50% of all plant species found endemic to Lebanon.  I am attempting to adapt and develop various methodologies,  establish collaborations ,  and follow various venues with the aim of generating information and knowledge that can be readily implemented by the private and/or public sectors in Lebanon and the region. I have  also incorporated my research findings in my teaching and services to the community in an attempt to widen the impact of my contribution in this field. 

The research projects that I have developed so far in collaboration with many local and international colleagues have allowed me to cover several aspects of plant  conservation. These include:

Characterizing the genetic diversity of native trees such as  almond, pistachio, carob and the cedar of Lebanon.  These projects are the result of an ongoing collaboration with the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute and an EU-INCO sponsored collaboration between  England (U. Reading), Lebanon (American University of Beirut), Morocco (Inst. Agronom et Veterinaire Hassan II),  Spain (Universidad de Valencia), and Turkey (Akdeniz University). Our aim through this latter collaboration is to establish methodologies for identifying cedar genotypes and multiplying commercially elite material within a framework of an environmentally sensitive production system and with due regard to safeguarding and enriching the natural biodiversity. 

Darwin Project in Coastal Vegetation Survey and Conservation for Lebanon. This project was conceived following discussions between colleagues from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England. We identified the need to support national conservation objectives through the development of plant and habitat conservation skills in Lebanon.  

Bioprospection: An alternative to diversify the agro-industrial portfolio in Lebanon. The purpose of this collaborative project is to rely on biotechnology to generate new plant-derived commercial products from indigenous Lebanese plants. The collaboration is between several Faculties at the American University of Beirut (Lebanon), Ohio State University (USA) and the University of Toledo (OH, USA).

Integrating regional expertise in biotechnology for sustainable exploitation of plant genetic resources in the Mediterranean: This project aims to strengthen ongoing research activities in conservation and management of plant genetic resources in the Mediterranean basin through active collaboration among regional research institutions with complementary capacities and expertise in plant biotechnology. The current undertaking is not an attempt to formulate one research goal into which every lab has to converge its activities, but reflects the establishment of a collaboration platform between the following institutions:  American University of Beirut, Lebanon; Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Greece ; Agricultural Genetic Engineering research Institute, Egypt ; Ege University, Turkey ; ICARDA, Syria  

Finally, in my capacity as a member of a non-governmental organization (GreenLine), I am coordinating flora monitoring activities in three nature reserves Lebanon. 

Funded projects

Generation of New plant-derived commercial products from indigenous Lebanese plants or other

ecologically appropriate ones (Mercy Corps International, 2001-2002, 500,000 USD)

Darwin project in Coastal vegetation survey and conservation for Lebanon (Darwin Initiative, UK,

1999-2002, £ 77,740)

Biodiversity audit, propagation and sustainable exploitation of cedars (Cedrus spp.) in the

Mediterranean

region (European Community – INCO, 1997-2002, 119,567 USD)

Workplan for the Genetic Diversity Analysis of Ceratonia siliqua in Lebanon. (International Plant

Genetic Resource Institute, 1999-2000, 6,000 USD)

Propagation and cultivation of native plant species with ornamental potentials (University

Research Board,

1999-2000, 4,500 USD)

Somatic embryogenesis of Cedrus libani (International Foundation for Science, 1997-2000, 10,900

USD)

Publications (IN THE PAST 5 YEARS)

International Refereed Journals (First and /or Senior corresponding author in bold)

Zurayk, R., N. Khoury , S. Talhouk and R. Baalbaki. Salinity-heavy metal

interactions in four salt-tolerant plant species. Journal of Plant

Nutrition. Accepted for publication.

Zurayk R., F. el-Awar, S.K. Hamadeh, S. Talhouk, C. Sayegh, A. Chehab, and K. al-Shab. Using indigenous knowledge in land use investigations: a participatory study in a semi-arid mountainous region of Lebanon. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 1712: 1-16. 

Talhouk, S. N., R. Zuryak, and S. Khuri. 2001. Conservation of the Lebanese Coniferous Forests: Past, Present and Future Prospects. Oryx. 35(3):206-215

Khuri, S., M. Shmoury, R. Baalbaki, M. Maunder, and S.N. Talhouk. 2000. Conservation of the Cedrus libani populations in Lebanon: History, current status and experimental application of    

somatic embryogenesis. Biodiversity and Conservation: 9(9): 1261-1273.

Talhouk, S.N. R.T. Lubani, R. Baalbaki, R. Zurayk, A. Al-Khatib, L. Parmaksizian,  and A. A. Jaradat. 2000. Phenotypic Diversity and Morphological Characterization of Amygdalus spp. in Lebanon. Genet. Res. Crop Evol., 47: pp. 93-104.

Hamadeh, S.K., R. Zurayk, F. El-Awar, S. N. Talhouk, D. abi Ghanem and M. Abi-Said. 1999. Farming System Analysis of Drylands Agriculture in Lebanon: An Analysis of sustainability. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture.  J. of Sustainable Agriculture. 15(/3): 33-43.

Baalbaki, R., M. Bleik, R. Zurayk, and S.N. Talhouk. 1999. Germination and seedling development of drought tolerant and susceptible wheat under moisture stress. Seed Sci. Technol. 27: 291-302.

Talhouk, S.N., R.T. Lubani, L.S. Parmaksizian, and G.A.Nehme. 1997. Survey and characterization of almond germplasm in Lebanon. Acta Horticulturae. 470: 101- 108.

Talhouk, S.N., R.A.Chahine, S.Hamadeh, B.C.Hamdar, and R.Z. Baalbaki. 1996. Low input cherry production: a horticultural alternative for Lebanese marginal highlands. HortScience. 31(7):1077-1079.

Proceedings

Talhouk, S.N., A. Ghalayini, and I. Toufeili. 1999. Effect of temperature and polyethylene wraps on storage life of loquat. In: Cahiers options mediterraneennes: Post-harvest losses of perishable horticultural products in the Mediterranean region. 42: 95-102.

Khuri, S. and S.N. Talhouk. 1999. Collaborative research on plant conservation between the UK and Lebanon. In Kim y-S (ed). Polant Conservation Strategy Towards the Next Millenium. Conf. The National Arboretum, Seoul, Korea. Pp: 34-45.

Talhouk, S.N., G.A. Nehme, R. Baalbaki, R. Zurayk and Y. Adham.

Ecogeographic Characterization of Pistacia spp. in Lebanon. International Workshop on Pistachio, Irbid, Jordan. International Plant Genetic Resources Institute. In press.

Contributions in Books

 Hamadeh S. K., R. Zurayk, M. R Darwish., H. Seeden, S. Talhouk, F. El-Awar, A. Baalbaki, M. Abi-Said, M. Sharara. 2001. Changing rural livelihoods and land degradation in the Bekaa valley. In Agriculture and Rural livelihoods: case studies for sustainability in the WANA region. A. Aw-Hassan and A. Cooper Eds. ICARDA, Syria.

S. Khuri and S.N.Talhouk. 1999. Cedars of Lebanon Cedrus libani A. Rich. In:Conifers: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. Farjon, A. and Page, C.N. (compilers). IUCN/SSC Conifer Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. Pp.108-111.

Newsletters

Talhouk, S.N., G.A. Nehme, R. Baalbaki, R. Zurayk, and Y. Adham. 1999. Distribution of wild Pistacia spp. in Lebanon. FAO-CIHEAM-Nucis-Newsletter. 8: 31.

Talhouk,S.N., R. Lubani, L. Parmaksizian, R.Baalbaki, R.Zurayk, and Y.Adham. 1998. Characterization of almond germplasm in Lebanon. FAO-Nucis-Newsletter. 7:6-7.

Local contributions for environmental awareness

Talhouk, S.N. J. Makhzoumi, M. Maunder, and S. Khuri. 2001. You can't see the woods for the trees: The Cedar of Lebanon as a symbol of a country and an ecosystem. Archeology and History in Lebanon. Issue 14: 114 -122.

Sattout, E, S.N.Talhouk, and K.Knio. 1999. Monitoring Biological Diversity: Flora of the Nature Reserve of Ehden. Greenline, For the Protected Areas Project. Ministry of Environment, Beirut, Lebanon.

Sattout, E, S.N.Talhouk, and K.Knio. 1999. Monitoring Biological Diversity: Flora of the Al-Shouf Nature Reserve. Greenline, For the Protected Areas Project. Ministry of Environment, Beirut, Lebanon.

Sattout, E, S.N.Talhouk, and K.Knio. 1999. Monitoring Biological Diversity: Flora of the Nature Reserve of the Palm Islands. Greenline, For the Protected Areas Project. Ministry of Environment, Beirut, Lebanon.

Sattout, E, S.N.Talhouk, and K.Knio. 1998. Monitoring Biological Diversity: Flora of the Nature Reserves of Al-Shouf, Ehden, and the Palm Islands. Greenline, For the Protected Areas Project. Ministry of Environment, Beirut, Lebanon.

Published Abstracts

Regional and International Abstracts:

Talhouk, S.N., M. Shmoury, R. Baalbaki, and S. Khuri. 1997. American Society for Horticultural Science. Somatic Embryogenesis of the Cedars of Lebanon (Cedrus libani). HortScience. 32(3):461.

Local Abstracts:

Talhouk, S.N., M. Shmoury, R. Baalbaki, and S. Khuri. 1997. Initiation of embryonic cultures from immature zygotic embryos of Cedrus libani . Lebanese Abstracts. Publication of the National Council for Scientific Research. p. 443.

Talhouk, S.N., R.T. Lubani, L.S. Parmaksizian, and G.A. Nehme. 1997. Survey and characterization of almond germplasm in Lebanon. Lebanese Abstracts. Publication of the National Council for Scientific Research. p.256.