Restoration and Rehabilitation of Desert Ecosystems
Convener: Oded Berger-Tal, BIDR
Deserts ecosystems contain some of the most unique biomes and species on Earth, making their conservation a high priority. However, decades of treating deserts as “non-important” wastelands have led to many large-scale human disturbances in desert environments. These include open mining, oil and toxic waste pollution, failed agricultural attempts, off-road vehicle use, and grazing by non-native herbivores. Depending on their type and severity, these disturbances can reduce the abundance of native species, alter soil properties, diminish ecosystem services for humans, and create hazards to humans such as blowing dust from eroded soils
The extreme environmental conditions that characterize deserts’ environments pose unique challenges to the restoration and rehabilitation of desert ecosystems. In this double session we will present and discuss the challenges, successes and failures of restoration projects in desert environments from two complementary perspectives: projects concentrating on restoring and rehabilitating desert species (session 1), and projects concentrating at restoring and rehabilitating desert biomes (session 2).
Showing all 10 results
- Restoration and Rehabilitation of Desert Ecosystems
Dr. Ilan Stavi
Geodiversity Enhances Resilience of Dryland Ecosystems to Climatic Change
Dead Sea and Arava Science Center, Israel
- Restoration and Rehabilitation of Desert Ecosystems
Dr. Katherine Moseby
Restoring Australian Deserts through Mammal Translocations
University of New South Wales, Australia
- Restoration and Rehabilitation of Desert Ecosystems
Dr. Octavia Crompton
When Does Structural Connectivity Measure Hydrologic Connectivity in Semi-Arid Vegetated Landscapes?
Duke University, USA
- Restoration and Rehabilitation of Desert Ecosystems
Dr. Shirli Bar-David
The Reintroduction of the Asiatic Wild Ass in the Negev Desert: Forty Years Later
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
- Restoration and Rehabilitation of Desert Ecosystems
Dr. Tal Polak
Life is Hard: Rekindling the Arabian Oryx (Oryx leucoryx) Reintroductions in Israel
Israeli Nature and Park Authority, Israel
- Restoration and Rehabilitation of Desert Ecosystems
Dr. Tal Polak
In Situ Soil Bioremediation to Counter Oil Spill in a Hyper-arid Nature Reserve
Israeli Nature and Park Authority, Israel
- Restoration and Rehabilitation of Desert Ecosystems
Dr. Yves Hingrat
Restoration of Declining Species in Arid Lands: Learnings from the North African Houbara Bustard Translocation Program in Morocco
Reneco International Wildlife Consultants, LLC, United Arab Emirates
- Restoration and Rehabilitation of Desert Ecosystems
Prof. Matthew Bowker
Establishing Biocrusts to Rehabilitate Drylands: Some Obstacles and Possible Paths Forward
Northern Arizona University, USA
- Restoration and Rehabilitation of Desert Ecosystems
Prof. Merav Seifan
Between a Wild Ass and a Hard Place – The Combined Effect of Large Herbivores and Arid Conditions on the Composition of Desert Vegetation
Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
- Restoration and Rehabilitation of Desert Ecosystems
Prof. Yaron Ziv
Studying Reclamation-Oriented Mining of Phosphate in the Negev Desert
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel