Grazing effects on plant species functional groups in the northern Negev

Abstract

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.