The State of Nature Report 2023 – Biodiversity Volume
The State of Nature Reports
The State of Nature Reports have been published since 2010 by Hamaarag. The reports present ecosystem trends and processes in Israel and provide a glimpse into the state of nature in Israel. The State of Nature Report 2023 – Biodiversity Volume is largely based on analyses of data accumulated during the first decade of the National Terrestrial Monitoring Program, operated by Hamaarag. The program encompasses most of Israel’s land territory, and spans 9 habitat-based monitoring units. The main monitoring questions address temporal changes in biodiversity and the effect of human settlements and agriculture on the ecosystems. A decade of monitoring encompassing 941 sampling plots has yielded much data, including 30,375 observations of medium-large sized mammals from 40 species, 68,141 birds from 195 species, 2,849 reptiles from 52 species, 267,579 butterflies from 92 species (over 13 years) and 20,365 plants from 139 species. The report also summarizes findings from additional sources: wildlife counts by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA), national monitoring programs for streams, the Sea of Galilee, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Red Sea, and the National Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, which is a citizen-science program.
Summary of Results
A decline in the abundance of numerous species
The sharp decline in birds and butterflies (Fig. 1) reflects a broader picture of deteriorating biodiversity in Israel over the last decade. Similar trends were reported for these two groups in other regions around the world; nonetheless, the rate of decline in Israel is markedly higher. This decline is due to environmental changes that impact these groups directly and indirectly. Furthermore, the state of butterflies affects birds and vice versa, and both affect the entire terrestrial ecosystem.
Edge effects
Human settlements and agriculture, especially in the Mediterranean region, pose a major threat to biodiversity in Israel (Fig. 2). The impact is direct through habitat loss from land-use conversion, and indirect through edge effects. These effects include pollutant leakage (herbicides, sewage and waste, light, and noise) and the spread of overabundant and invasive species from human settlements into natural landscapes (Figs. 4,5). The impact zone of farmlands and human settlements on biodiversity greatly exceeds their boundaries, markedly altering adjacent natural habitats and affecting ecological corridors.
Threats to nature in Israel and the way forward
Israel’s biodiversity faces threats similar to other countries, intensified by its high population density and growth rate, small land area and spreadout development. Its location in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin, a region strongly affected by climate change, adds a broad-scale threat (Fig. 4). As a result, numerous species are under threat of extinction (Fig. 3). Despite this, efforts to protect, restore, and reintroduce species have been successful, such as the preservation of flourishing ungulate populations. Management of nature reserves and forests, maintenance of ecological corridors and local practices such as sanitation, mitigate development’s impact on ecosystems and aid biodiversity conservation. Continued long-term monitoring and nature assessment are vital for understanding threats and their impacts, and for formulating effective, science-based policies and practices.
