Article
Ecology
Sylvie Drahorad, Peter Felix-Henningsen, Jan Siemens, Bernd Marschner, Stefanie Heinze
Summary: Biocrusts are crucial for the biogeochemical cycles of semiarid ecosystems and are strongly influenced by environmental factors. Differences in moisture regime and sampling depth affect soil properties, with the topcrusts being efficient zones of nutrient turnover and subcrusts also playing an important role in the cycles.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Giora J. Kidron, Abraham Starinsky, Bo Xiao
Summary: Regardless of lithology and plant cover, floodwater in the Negev consistently shows enrichment in K+ and Mg2+ ions, which cannot be explained by rock minerals or plant decomposition. Sprinkling experiments suggest that rock and soil-dwelling microorganisms may be responsible for the enrichment, affecting the quality of water in arid zones.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Stephen Prince, Uriel Safriel
Summary: The study found that about 50% of the study area in the transition from arid to semi-arid in the northern Negev desert had significantly lower production than its potential. The degree of degradation varied across different land uses, with some showing mild degradation and others more severe.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Talia Gabay, Guy Rotem, Osnat Gillor, Yaron Ziv
Summary: The study evaluated the bacterial communities of biocrusts in mining areas in the Negev Desert, finding lower diversity and significant differences in community composition compared to reference biocrusts. Cyanobacteria abundances and photosynthetic potential were also lower in post-mining biocrusts. However, no significant changes in bacterial communities were detected regardless of restoration age, suggesting the need for active restoration measures to accelerate the regeneration of biocrusts in the hyper-arid Negev mines.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shilo Shiff, Amir Givati, Steve Brenner, Itamar M. Lensky
Summary: On 15 September 2015, a convective storm caused the strongest flash flood in the South Negev Desert in the last 50 years. None of the forecast models predicted the event, leading to a lack of warning. Researchers used satellite, radar, and numerical weather prediction model data to analyze the event and found that a combination of temporal Fourier analysis and satellite and model-based analysis could provide early warning for flood risks several hours ahead.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ye Fu, Linshan Wu, Shulun Ai, Zhiguang Guo, Weimin Liu
Summary: The study proposes a new mist dew collector that mimics natural creatures to improve efficiency of water collection. The system features a gradient structure and Janus sponge for storage, improving collection efficiency by adjusting liquid behavior throughout the process. Compared to traditional fog collection structures, this system shows significant improvement in efficiency.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aziz Subach, Arik Dorfman, Bar Avidov, Adi Domer, Yehonatan Samocha, Inon Scharf
Summary: This study investigated the behavior and ecology of the desert horned viper in the northwestern Negev desert, Israel. The vipers were found to move slower in vegetation-dense microhabitats compared to open dune areas. Their movement in open areas was likely influenced by the availability of prey. The vipers were more active early in the season, with peak activity right after sunset and a smaller peak at sunrise, possibly indicating a search for burrows to spend the day. Inter-sexual and between-year differences were also observed, such as variations in size and population size. The information provided in this study can contribute to the conservation of this viper species, as sand dunes are threatened habitats in Israel.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Asuncion de los Rios, Isaac Garrido-Benavent, Alicia Limon, Errol D. Cason, Gillian Maggs-Kolling, Don Cowan, Angel Valverde
Summary: This study evaluated the structure and composition of lichen-dominated hypolithic communities found in the coastal zone of the Namib Desert, which differed in bacterial composition and structural organization from those found in inland areas, possibly due to specific microenvironmental conditions. Additionally, moisture derived from fog and dew could be the main driver of this unique hypolithic colonization.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pnina Cohen, Roberto Bacilieri, Jazmin Ramos-Madrigal, Eyal Privman, Elisabetta Boaretto, Audrey Weber, Daniel Fuks, Ehud Weiss, Tali Erickson-Gini, Scott Bucking, Yotam Tepper, Deborah Cvikel, Joshua Schmidt, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Nathan Wales, Guy Bar-Oz, Meirav Meiri
Summary: Recent excavations in the Negev Highlands of southern Israel revealed a society that established large-scale viticulture in an arid environment. By analyzing grapevine pips using genome-wide sequencing and radiocarbon dating, researchers found evidence of continuous grape cultivation in the Southern Levant for centuries. The genetically diverse pips also provided insights into ancient cultivation strategies and their contribution to agricultural productivity and food security.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Giora J. Kidron, Rafael Kronenfeld
Summary: The expansion of lichens in the Negev is determined by dew and fog. Crustose lichens rely on dew while fruticose lichens rely on fog. Experimental results showed that fruticose lichens intercept more fog in windy conditions. This study provides insights into the expansion and adaptation of lichens in extreme desert environments.
Article
Ecology
Giora J. Kidron, Rafael Kronenfeld
Summary: There is little consensus on the water sources of soil biocrusts in deserts. Non-rainfall water (NRW), such as dew, is considered important by most researchers, but evidence from the Negev suggests that NRW is significantly reduced after nocturnal soil heat efflux. The ability of NRW to sustain 3- to 5-mm-tall lichens is challenged by their taller counterparts and the limited availability of NRW during daytime.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Uri Dayan, Itamar M. Lensky, Baruch Ziv, Pavel Khain
Summary: The study examines a severe rainstorm that occurred in the Middle East in April 2018, causing 13 fatalities, with the deadliest flash flood taking place in the Tzafit Basin in the Negev Desert. The rain observed during this storm was comparable to the region's annual rainfall, with intensities exceeding a 75-year return period. Various atmospheric conditions, including the presence of a cut-off low and a cyclone over northwestern Saudi Arabia, contributed to the storm's intensity and duration.
NATURAL HAZARDS AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Capucine Baubin, Noya Ran, Hagar Siebner, Osnat Gillor
Summary: This study assessed the impact of rain on active bacterial communities in the Negev Desert's biological soil crust. The results showed that rain activated phototrophs and led to a dramatic shift in the bacterial community. Drying, on the other hand, delayed the decrease in bacterial activity.
Article
Ecology
Giora J. Kidron, Rafael Kronenfeld, Bo Xiao, Abraham Starinsky
Summary: Long-term field campaigns in the Negev observed wet-dry cycles primarily on sand following rain events, which are caused by temperature-induced vapor flux distillation. This phenomenon may play an important role in the establishment and growth of biocrusts on sand dunes in the Negev.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Yanli Zhuang, Wenzhi Zhao, Lihui Luo, Lixin Wang
Summary: This study investigates dew formation characteristics and its ecological effects on vegetation water status and photosynthetic performance in the gravel desert ecosystem at the edge of a desert oasis in Northwestern China. Water adsorption is the primary pathway of dew formation, with an average daily dew amount of 0.06 mm. Dew was found to occur on 36% of growing season days, with the cumulative amount of dew for days with dew amounts >0.03 mm accounting for 82% of the total dew events. Factors like relative humidity, air temperature, wind speed, and temperature differences significantly influence dew formation. Dew events were shown to improve the relative water content, water potential, and photosynthetic performance of Reaumuria soongorica plants, highlighting the importance of dew as a supplementary water source in the gravel desert ecosystem.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2021)
