New Approach For Sustainable And Profitable Grazing Systems In Arid Open Lands Of The Northern Negev Desert (Israel)

In  the past, most of the open lands of arid areas were used as rangelands because of the pivotal role of grazing in the life of the indigenous populace. Currently, because of the competition  between grazing  and other types of land management (crops’ breeding, urbanisation, etc.) and the seemingly destructive effect of the grazing on the ecosystem, only a reduced part of the open lands is used for grazing. Even in the lands that are allocated  to pasture,  many restricting’ legislations  have been enforced  by the authorities.  Consequently,  these policies have resulted in the dramatic reduction in the profits of the herd owners and a drastic decrease in the rate of grazing, which  resulted by ecological catastrophes such as wide spread of fires and invasion of exotic species. In order to achieve a sustainable and profitable utilization of these open lands, we used an alternative approach,  which based on the physical interactions of the animals with the ecosystem. This scheme takes  into consideration  the physical  interactions  of the bred animals with the ecosystem there, the statutory state of the lands, and the social patterns of the indigenous farmers, as parameters  for a holistic solution  for arid lands

Tree Belts for Decreasing Aeolian Dust-Carried Pesticides from Cultivated Areas

The aim of this study was to investigate the function of tree belts in reducing the aeolian transport of dust particles carrying pesticides. The study examined the importance of the buffer zones created by commonly planted trees (Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Pinus halepensis (pine) and Ceratonia siliqua (carob)). The methods include analyzing the quantity and the chemical composition of pesticides carried by aeolian dust particles from the intensively cultivated fields and orchards, where pesticides were applied, towards the tree belts nearby. Eighteen different chemicals used as insecticides, fungicides and herbicides, were found both in the agricultural fields and in the adjacent tree belts, suggesting an important function of the trees. This ecological service has rarely been taken into consideration by management policies of tree plantings in farmland areas. To integrate this service into agriculture, especially in the case of agricultural fields and orchards, which are adjacent to populated areas, planting tree belts should be positively considered as a means for reducing aeolian dust and air pollution, mainly in order to reduce leakage of pesticides, which are a cause for significant health concerns

Hillslope Geodiversity Impact on Biocrusts’ Biogeochemical Functions

Geodiversity integrates physical parameters such as geological, geomorphological, and pedological components. It represents the abiotic diversity of the earth surface layer. It incorporates geological (bedrocks and mineral sediments), geomorphological (geography, land surface formations, physical processes), pedological (soils), and hydrological characteristics. Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) play an essential role in regulating the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nitrogen. Their ability is dependent on habitat conditions, composition, and cover percentage of the ground surface, all of which are affected by geodiversity. This study’s objective was to assess the effects of geodiversity on the biogeochemical functions of biocrusts by regulating the soil water dynamics and the subsequent impact on readily available nitrogen and carbon. Hillslope geodiversity is determined by the geodiversity found in the stone cover on the ground surface and in the stone content throughout the soil profile, as well as by the soil profile thickness of the underlying bedrock. We hypothesized that in dry environments, the physical conditions in high-geodiversity hillslopes, compared to low-geodiversity hillslopes, positively affect the soil water budget, which would affect the biocrusts and their readily available nitrogen and carbon. The results showed higher soil moisture content in the heterogeneous hillslopes. The ammonium and labile organic carbon in the biocrusts were more substantial in the heterogeneous than in the homogeneous hillslopes, while soil protein, nitrite, and soil organic matter were similar. We suggest that the comparatively high soil moisture content in the heterogeneous hillslopes stimulates biocrust community activities and increases the readily available nitrogen and carbon, thus improving the survival of shrubs in these ecosystems under long-term drought conditions