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Grazing effects on plant species functional groups in the northern Negev

June 2018

Conference: Ecology and environment 2018

Authors:

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Grazing effect on the plant species community composition depend on climatic conditions, grazing intensity and grazing history. Grazing is a common practice used by the Negev desert inhabitants for thousands of years. In those areas, plant species co-evolve with grazing pressure, and therefore, developed traits which enable them to survive it. Introduction of grazing in areas without grazing history, the local plants communities may result in a decrease in species richness, abundance and diversity. One of the problems of The Nature and Park Authority, responsible of nature conservation, deals with in the northern Negev is the uncontrolled grazing areas.

Regressions of grazing intensity against the proportion of species number of the relevant functional group. There is a trend of increase in species proportion of the functional group short annual grasses only in Martach. Non of the regressions was significant.

Average species abundance per plot: a). Topography (higher in the wadi, p<0.00), b). Location (higher in Taas p= 0.017), c) Grazing treatment (p=0.137) and d). Between years (highest abundance in 2015 p<0.00). Split plot ANOVA.

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‫בית‬ ‫מבנה‬ ‫על‬ ‫רעייה‬ ‫השפעת‬-‫מדברי‬ ‫גידול‬ ‫הצומח‬ ‫חברת‬ ‫בדגש‬ ‫דו"ח‬ ‫מסכם‬ ‫לשנים‬

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הדו"ח מציג מחקר ארוך טווח שערכנו בשטחי הנגב ואשר בחן השפעות של רעיית צאן על חברת הצומח. המחקר נעשה בשיתוף ובמימון רשות הטבע והגנים

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