TY - JOUR
T1 - The effect of habitat and erosion on the distribution and development of Pistacia atlantica trees in the central Negev highlands of Israel
AU - GICHUA, MOSES K.
AU - AVNI, YOAV
AU - GUTTERMAN, YITZHACK
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors wish to thank Dr. Bertrand Boeken and Prof. Avinoam Danin for their invaluable suggestions and advice during the study period. We are grateful, too, to Frieda Gilmour for her help with the editing of the manuscript. Many thanks to an anonymous reviewer who offered very insightful comments. This study was funded by the Israel Ministry of Science. Technical support was supplied by the Ramon Science Center. It is part of the M.Sc. thesis of Moses K. Gichua.
PY - 2002/1/1
Y1 - 2002/1/1
N2 - Pistacia atlantica trees have a very limited distribution in wadis in the central Negev highlands, and erosive processes may have a negative impact on the recruitment and survival of the trees. We measured the sizes of the trunks of adult trees, the condition of their canopies, fruit density, insect herbivory, and soil parameters - both in eroded and noneroded habitats. This was to determine the habitat soil quality and how it relates to the demographic disposition and vitality of these trees. The results revealed irregular size/age distribution and possible poor recruitment. There were no differences in fruit density between trees in eroded and noneroded habitats. However, analysis on gall density per branch revealed that Slavum wertheimae prefer host plants in relatively uneroded habitats. Analysis of water-holding capacity, soil organic carbon content, and pH revealed significant differences, with better soil quality existing in noneroded areas.
AB - Pistacia atlantica trees have a very limited distribution in wadis in the central Negev highlands, and erosive processes may have a negative impact on the recruitment and survival of the trees. We measured the sizes of the trunks of adult trees, the condition of their canopies, fruit density, insect herbivory, and soil parameters - both in eroded and noneroded habitats. This was to determine the habitat soil quality and how it relates to the demographic disposition and vitality of these trees. The results revealed irregular size/age distribution and possible poor recruitment. There were no differences in fruit density between trees in eroded and noneroded habitats. However, analysis on gall density per branch revealed that Slavum wertheimae prefer host plants in relatively uneroded habitats. Analysis of water-holding capacity, soil organic carbon content, and pH revealed significant differences, with better soil quality existing in noneroded areas.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036952888&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1560/DH3J-6PNV-YUF1-8TEJ
DO - 10.1560/DH3J-6PNV-YUF1-8TEJ
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0036952888
SN - 0792-9978
VL - 50
SP - 281
EP - 286
JO - Israel Journal of Plant Sciences
JF - Israel Journal of Plant Sciences
IS - 4
ER -