Effect of soil erosion on the biodiversity of soil crust within the Ziporim basin of Israel

The biological soil crust is composed of living microorganisms. In deserts it is mainly the non-vascular plants that constitute the soil crust. Protein, polysaccharide, NDVI and Organic carbon showed significant differences (

Soil Characteristics of Crusted outside and Subcanopy Areas of four Dominant Shrubs in the Negev Desert

It has been proposed that there are functional source-sink relationships between two patch types (microbiotic crusts and shrubs) in drylands. Crust patches supply runoff water and resources which shrub patches accumulate, thereby becoming loci of productivity and diversity. This study compared some soil characteristics under shrubs and outside to determine how these soil parameters relate to the source-sink model. Four shrubs dominant in the area namely: Zygophyllum dumosum, Hammada scoparia, Atriplex leucocladaandThymelea hirsuta were investigated. The results on compaction, salinity, pH, water holding capacity, respiration and organic carbon supported the model. The crust:shrub ratio is crucial for the functioning and sustained productivity of the system. Keywords: Soil characteristics; shrub subcanopy; crust; sink-source, Negev desert [IJARD Vol.3 2002: 162-170

Trends and current status of indigenous knowledge among the inhabitants of the Turkwel riverine in Kenya

The Turkana lead a predominantly traditional lifestyle largely depending on available natural resources for their livelihoods. They are mainly nomadic pastoralists with a few growing crops along the rivers’ floodplains. The utilization of the rangelands is characterized by little or no use of yield enhancing inputs. However, the nomadic pastoralists have been able to achieve some sort of balance between their environment and their economy through experiential co-adaptation. Through this experiential co-adaptation the Turkana people have accumulated a wealth of indigenous knowledge and established institutions that have helped them to cope with their fragile environment. However, not much of this knowledge has been used in the design and implementation of development initiatives. The article is based on a study which examined how the Turkana pastoral community living along the Turkwel riverine has over the years used its indigenous knowledge to cope with their environment. The study used participatory and household survey methods. The results show that, among others, the Turkana pastoralists cope with adverse situations through social networks, mobility, herd maximization and the adoption of ‘new’ adaptive strategies. It is concluded that there is a wealth of indigenous knowledge that can be used in finding practical solutions for local problems.Keywords: Trends, indigenous knowledge, Turkwel riverine, Turkana