Effects of ‘red unit’ deposit on Acacia trees in the hyper-arid southern Israel

Stavi, Ilan; Shem-Tov, Rahamim; Gourjon, E.; Ragolski, G.; Shlomi, Yanai; Ginat, Hanan

doi:10.1016/j.catena.2016.06.030

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 14 publications

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“…Overall, our results are in agreement with other data from the region (Table 4). Inter-site variability in acacia mortality reported for the Arava Valley is affected by several factors, such as soil properties [39,40], fluvial processes [20,25,40], latitude [15], and anthropogenic disturbances [12][13][14]30,32]. While the effect of watershed size is still unclear [22,25], very few mortalities were documented in the Arava Sabkhas (discharge playas), probably due to their characteristic high groundwater level [25].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drought and Anthropogenic Effects on Acacia Populations: A Case Study from the Hyper-Arid Southern Israel

et al. 2021

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Acacia encompasses a keystone genus across the Middle Eastern and African drylands. This study assesses the dynamics of Acacia populations in two ephemeral stream channels (Nahal Naomi and Nahal Yael) in the hyper-arid Arava region following the establishment of a dam in the upstream channel of Nahal Yael and a long-term regional drought episode. The assessments were conducted at the individual and population levels, for a period of 45 years (during 1972, 1994 and 2017). In Nahal Naomi, the population increased by 35% during 1972–1994 (a relatively rainy period) and experienced low mortality (net change of +1.6% year−1). However, following a regional drought episode between 1995 and 2009, this population decreased by 57% (net change of −2.5% year−1). In Nahal Yael, the acacia population declined by 66% during 1972–1994 (net change of −1.6% year−1). Between 1994–2017, this population was co-affected by dam and drought, with no recruitment, and declined by 70% (net change of −2.0% year−1). By examining the tree’s specific location, species, age and state of preservation of dead individuals, we identified factors that influence tree mortality, and highlighted the adverse impacts of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on Acacia populations in hyper-arid environments.

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