ארכיון Articles - Hamaarag

A Summary of the First Decade of Biodiversity Monitoring in Israel: Current Status and Main Threats

shira grossbard — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 07:14:38 +0000

הפוסט A Summary of the First Decade of Biodiversity Monitoring in Israel: Current Status and Main Threats הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.

Distance from human settlements favors wild-type appearance of feral cats (Felis catus) in Mediterranean woodland

shira grossbard — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 11:21:47 +0000

Camouflage is a common trait enabling animals to avoid detection by predators and prey. Patterns such as spots and stripes are convergent across carnivore families, including felids, and are hypothesized to have adaptive value through camouflage. House cats (Felis catus) were domesticated thousands of years ago, but despite artificial selection for a wide variety of coat colors, the wild-type pattern of tabby cats is very common. We aimed to determine whether this pattern grants an advantage over other morphs in natural environments. We collected cat images taken with camera traps in natural areas near and far from 38 rural settlements in Israel, to compare the habitat use by feral cats of different colors. We tested the effect of proximity to villages and habitat vegetation (normalized difference vegetation index, NDVI) on the probability of space use by the tabby morph compared to the others. NDVI had a positive effect on site use in both morphs, but non-tabby cats had a 2.1 higher probability of using the near sites than the far sites, independent of NDVI. The wild-type tabby cats’ probability of site use were equally likely to be unaffected by proximity, or have an interaction of proximity with NDVI whereby the far transects are used with increasing probability in sites of denser vegetation. We hypothesize that the camouflage of tabby cats, more than other colors and patterns, confers an advantage in roaming the woodland habitats for which this pattern evolved. This has both theoretical implications as rare empirical evidence of the adaptive value of fur coloration, and practical implications on managing the ecological impact of feral cats worldwide.

הפוסט Distance from human settlements favors wild-type appearance of feral cats (Felis catus) in Mediterranean woodland הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.

Unexpected consequences of afforestation in degraded drylands: Divergent impacts on soil and vegetation

shira grossbard — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 12:09:37 +0000

Forestry has long been considered an effective means of restoring degraded drylands worldwide. Often, afforestation in such lands relies on the establishment of runoff harvesting systems that are formed as contour bench terraces on hillslopes, increasing water availability for the planted trees and shrubs. The construction of terraces requires intensive earthworks by heavy machinery. This study assessed the long-term (>10 yrs) effects of forestry-related land-use change on soil properties and herbaceous vegetation in 16-year-old and 12-year-old afforestation sites (established in 2005 and 2009), and in nearby control (“natural”) areas in the semi-arid northern Negev, Israel. Mean herbaceous vegetation height in the 2005 afforestation sites (12.1 cm) was significantly (P = 0.0009) and 23% greater than in the control areas (9.8 cm), whereas in the 2009 afforestation sites (6.2 cm) it was 37% lesser than in the control areas. Mean herbaceous vegetation aboveground biomass was similar in the 2005 afforestation (0.39 Mg ha⁻¹) and control areas (0.38 Mg ha⁻¹), and almost significantly (P = 0.0510) and twofold greater than in the 2009 afforestation sites (0.19 Mg ha⁻¹). The effect of hillslope aspect on these variables was substantial; their mean values were higher in the northern (mesic) hillslopes than in the southern (xeric) hillslopes. Soil samples were obtained from depths of 0–5 and 5–10 cm and physio-chemo-biological properties were assessed in the laboratory. The overall soil quality – as calculated by two soil quality indices (SQIs), including the generalized SQI (SQI_gen) and the minimum dataset SQI (SQI_MDS) – was significantly (P < 0.0001 for both indices) and 13–22% greater in the control areas (0.52 and 0.61, respectively) than that in the afforestation treatments (0.44–0.46 and 0.50–0.51, respectively). These results are generally attributed to the removal of soil’s A-horizon during earthworks, and the exposure of the underlying B-horizon. The similar SQI values of both hillslope aspects, as well as of both soil depths, indicate the generally degraded state of the entire region. In conclusion, while contour bench terracing may facilitate the recovery of herbacaeous vegetation to some extent, the effectiveness of this practice for soil restoration is questionable. Overall, insights of this study demonstrate a caveat that converting natural drylands to forestry systems may not yield sufficient ecological benefits, and therefore should be implemented with caution.

הפוסט Unexpected consequences of afforestation in degraded drylands: Divergent impacts on soil and vegetation הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.

Three years after extensive pollution of the Ashalim River – assessment according to the monitoring program

shira grossbard — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 10:04:16 +0000

The article, written by Dr. Rael Horwitz, Dr. Ron Chen, Dr. Ittai Ranan and others, was published in October 2020 in the Hebrew-language Journal “Ecology and Environment” of the Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Sciences [in Hebrew].

הפוסט Three years after extensive pollution of the Ashalim River – assessment according to the monitoring program הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.

The consequences of climate change on eco-systems in Israel, and ways of adaptation

shira grossbard — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 10:50:23 +0000

The article, written by Dr. Rafi Kent and Dr. Michal Sorek, was published in January 2019 in the Hebrew-language Journal “Ecology and Environment” of the Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Sciences [in Hebrew].

הפוסט The consequences of climate change on eco-systems in Israel, and ways of adaptation הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.

The transformation of open spaces and the impact of development on birds in Israel – insights from the State of Nature in Israel 2018 report

shira grossbard — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 11:02:03 +0000

The article, written by Dr. Michal Sorek, Dr. Idan Shapira, Dr. Hila Shamon, Harel Dan and Dr. Irina Levinsky, was published in June 2020 in the Hebrew-language Journal “Ecology and Environment” of the Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Sciences [in Hebrew].

הפוסט The transformation of open spaces and the impact of development on birds in Israel – insights from the State of Nature in Israel 2018 report הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.

Limiting factors of Striped Hyaena, Hyaena hyaena, distributionand densities across climatic and geographical gradients (Mammalia: Carnivora)

shira grossbard — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 11:06:10 +0000

Few previous studies on the factors that affect Striped Hyaena (Hyaena hyaena
Linnaeus, 1758) occurrence and densities were done on geographically unrelated populations
using different methodologies. In Israel, hyaenas occur throughout the country’s
steep climatic and geographical gradients, presenting a unique opportunity to
study densities and habitat use across adjacent ecosystems using a unified methodology
and test previous conceptions regarding the species’ habitat selection. We collected
hyaena abundance-absence data using 1440 camera traps placed at 80 sites (2012–
2016). Site location ranged from hyper-arid deserts to dense Mediterranean shrubland.
We assessed the effect of climate, habitat structure, elevation, geomorphological attributes
(proxy for den availability), and anthropogenic development (proximity to settlements
and agriculture) on hyaena densities using N-mixture models. Hyaena densities
were negatively affected by anthropogenic development, and were limited by den
availability. Hyaena densities did not follow a climatic or geographic gradient. Densities
were highest at hyper-arid deserts and Mediterranean coastal shrublands. Despite
the former conception that hyaenas prefer semi-arid open habitats and avoid extreme
deserts and dense vegetation, we show that hyaenas use and even thrive in these habitats
when geomorphological conditions are suitable and resources are available.

הפוסט Limiting factors of Striped Hyaena, Hyaena hyaena, distributionand densities across climatic and geographical gradients (Mammalia: Carnivora) הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.

In nature conservation there is no compassion to be found in inaction

shira grossbard — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 09:52:12 +0000

The article was published in 2018 in the Hebrew-language Journal “Ecology and Environment” of the Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Sciences. [in Hebrew]

הפוסט In nature conservation there is no compassion to be found in inaction הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.

National scale mapping of ecosystem services in Israel – genetic resources, pollination and cultural services

shira grossbard — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 11:30:10 +0000

The Israel – National Ecosystem Assessment (I-NEA) project aims to present a comprehensive picture of the state and trends of Israel’s ecosystem services across all ecosystems, by integrating existing data and information collected from a wide range of sources. Although there is a lack of information about the spatial distribution of ecosystem services’ provisioning in Israel, their mapping constitutes an important part of the assessment.

In this paper, we present a national-scale mapping of three ecosystem services, each of them implemented using different methods: 1) Genetic resources service, mapped using spatial observations of the Crop Wild Relatives species; 2) potential of pollination service, which is provided by wild bees, mapped using an expert-based habitat model related to land use and land cover; and 3) cultural service of recreation, mapped by analysing the distribution of geotagged digital photographs uploaded to social media resources. The derived maps visualise, for the first time in Israel, the spatially distributed values of the three ecosystem services. Supply hotspots with high values for all three services were identified, as well as spatial differences amongst the ecosystem services. These national-scale maps provide overlooked insights and can be very useful for strategic discussions of stakeholders and decision-makers but should be regarded with caution given existing knowledge gaps and possible inaccuracies due to data scarcity and low resolution.

הפוסט National scale mapping of ecosystem services in Israel – genetic resources, pollination and cultural services הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.

Spatio-temporal activity patterns of mammals in an agro-ecological mosaic with seasonal recreation activities

shira grossbard — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 11:48:49 +0000

Recreation activities in developed landscapes may add additional stressors that affect wildlife spatial and temporal activity patterns. We assessed medium to large mammal species response to a tourist scenic route in an agro-ecological mosaic landscape of the Shikma region, Israel. We placed 60 camera traps in an agro-ecological matrix and recorded mammals during three seasons between 2015 and 2017. We used N-mixture models to estimate mammal activity in relation with proximity to the scenic route and additional anthropogenic related factors such as traffic volume and land use. Anthropogenic development and activities had negative effects on large, endangered species, and none or positive on smaller, commensal species. Our results suggest an expansion of human recreation activity may have adverse outcomes on apex predators, which can cause a chain reaction and lead to meso-predator release, ultimately affecting prey species. The results emphasize the need for land managers to be extra cautious when attempting to add additional stressors (i.e., recreation activity) to developed landscapes such as the study area. Such landscapes can function as healthy ecosystems and provide suitable habitats for wildlife given that land managers are aware and account for wildlife-limiting factors in future development plans.

הפוסט Spatio-temporal activity patterns of mammals in an agro-ecological mosaic with seasonal recreation activities הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.

Giving the Mediterranean Sea a “barely sufficient” score – adjusting the international health of the sea index for Israel

shira grossbard — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 11:11:42 +0000

The article, written by Anat Tsemel, Dr. Aviad Scheinin and Dr. Dr. Yair Suari, was published in October 2014 in the Hebrew-language Journal “Ecology and Environment” of the Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Sciences [in Hebrew].

הפוסט Giving the Mediterranean Sea a “barely sufficient” score – adjusting the international health of the sea index for Israel הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.

The National Program for Monitoring the State of Nature and Biodiversity in Open Landscapes in Israel

shira grossbard — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 15:10:51 +0000

The article, written by Dr. Naama Berg, Orit Ginzburg and Prof. Avi Perevolotsky, was published in August 2012 in the Hebrew-language Journal “Ecology and Environment” of the Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Sciences. The article includes a background survey emphasizing the necessity for monitoring to optimize management of natural resources, and a description of the monitoring program which commenced in April 2012: how the program was developed and the expected use of the program's findings [in Hebrew].

הפוסט The National Program for Monitoring the State of Nature and Biodiversity in Open Landscapes in Israel הופיע לראשונה ב-Hamaarag.