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The Edge-Effect of Farming on Vegetation Density and Rodent Assemblage of a Remnant Sandy Patch in a Hyper-Arid Environment (Arava Valley, Israel)

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The Edge-Effect of Farming on Vegetation Density and Rodent Assemblage of a Remnant Sandy Patch in a Hyper-Arid Environment (Arava Valley, Israel) 1 Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies THE EDGE-EFFECT OF FARMING ON VEGETATION DENSITY AND RODENT ASSEMBLAGE OF A REMNANT SANDY PATCH IN A HYPER-ARID ENVIRONMENT (ARAVA VALLEY, ISRAEL) Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of "Master of Science" By Roy Talbi Date: May 2009 2 Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies THE EDGE-EFFECT OF FARMING ON VEGETATION DENSITY AND RODENT ASSEMBLAGE OF A REMNANT SANDY PATCH IN A HYPER-ARID ENVIRONMENT (ARAVA VALLEY, ISRAEL) Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of "Master of Science" By: Roy Talbi Under the Supervision of Prof. Haim Tsoar and Dr. Amos Bouskila Department of Desert Ecology Author's Signature ………… Date 1/5/09 Approved by the Supervisor… . Date 4/5/09 Approved by the Supervisor………… Date 4/5/09 Approved by the Director of the School …………… Date ………..... 3 THE EDGE-EFFECT OF FARMING ON VEGETATION DENSITY AND RODENT ASSEMBLAGE OF A REMNANT SANDY PATCH IN A HYPER- ARID ENVIRONMENT (ARAVA VALLEY, ISRAEL) ROY TALBI ABSTRACT Along with habitat destruction and fragmentation, agriculture in arid environments creates water- and nutrients-enriched terrestrial islands. Extensive agricultural practices have been implemented in hyper-arid deserts during the last decades, but the effect on the ecosystem remains vague. The present study examined the consequences of agricultural edge-effect on vegetation cover and rodent community structure, in a small and exclusive sandy patch. This patch, composed of several sand dunes, is adjacent to an irrigated date plantation in the hyper-arid southern Arava, Israel. I hypothesized that the dense vegetation characterizing the dunes is supported by the annual 2 million m3 of treated wastewater irrigating the plantations. At first, vegetation cover was measured in the field and by photogrammetry (GIS methods) of historical aerial photos from 1956-2003. In order to infer on the hydrologic condition of the patch, 19 boreholes (depth <6.5m) were drilled to locate the level of the underground water table and to identify anthropogenic indicators in the water. To follow ecological outcomes in the vegetation cover shift I examined the rodent assemblage using live-trapping and tracks identification. Field measurements and photogrammetry showed a significant increase in bush density during the last two decades along the habitat-farmland edge. The inter-dune boreholes revealed an unfamiliar groundwater table at a depth of 2-6m, and the water quality test indicated contamination by nitrates. Rodents assemblage in 'adjacent to farm' locations was dominated by the generalist species Gerbillus nanus and lacked the native specialist G. gerbillus. On the other hand, the community in the interior sand dunes, which was previously reported as purely inhabited by the native one, was disturbed by generalist invasion. The recent thriving of the local shrub Haloxylon persicum seemed to be related to leakage and sub-surface flow of irrigation water towards the sandy patch. This habitat modification negatively affects the psammophilic endangered gerbil G. gerbillus, and it 4 is expected to harm other habitat specialists inhabiting the last major sand dune within the Israeli Arava. Habitat management should be addressed, since the replacement of G. gerbillus at its primary resort (the Arava sandy patches), may finally lead to its extinction from the Israeli desert. Moreover, this study demonstrates an indirect effect of farming activity on a small and unique patch. 5 ACKNOWLEDGMENT This study was partially funded by the Faculty of Science and Science Education, University of Haifa, the Geography Dep. BGU and the Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, BGU. In addition, I'm grateful to: My supervisors, Haim Tsoar & Amos Bouskila, BGU Uri Shanas (University of Haifa-Oranim) for many hours in the field and lab Hanan Ginat (Samar) for touring and communications Yehoshua and Rimon (BGU's Geography dep.) for great help with equipment Bryan Medwed (may he rest in peace) for wind equipment and data (Samar) Joe Nissim (Samar) for invaluable reviewing and field excavations Miriam and the rest of the Arava Institute members Larissa, Ya'akov and the Julia from Arava Research & Develop. Center (R&D) Amnon Grinberg & Effi Tripler (R&D) for books & helpful communication Rivka Amit and Yossi Yechieli (Israel Geological Survey) Shanas's annual Biodiversity workshop associates Ido Yzhaki for statistics (University of Haifa-Oranim) Yael Olek, Boaz Idelevich, Idan Shapira and other Haifa-Oranim alumni Tal Yasin for excavations and Yanai Shlomi (Samar) for communications Dafna Carmeli & Yossi Avnat (Samar) for equipment support Benny Shalmon (NPA) for good advices Reuven Hepner (NPA) for moral support and advices David Saltz & Ofer Ovadia (BGU) for great reviewing and advising Bert Boeken (BIRD, BGU) for helpful reviewing and advising Dorit Levine and other members of the AKIS, BGU Aranne Library (BGU) and Ma'ale Shacharut School for books Mori Chen for many communications and field tours Aaron Yair for touring and advising, and Karin Ardon for great guiding Herzel Naor and other members of Mekorot (National water company) My "Gerbillus" Mika Talbi, Shiri Mor and the rest of my Family for supporting My best friends Attila, Yossef, Raviv, Noach, Elad … for keeping me focus. 6 TABLE OF CONTENT 1 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................8 1.1 EDGE EFFECT AND PATCH SIZE ..........................................................................................................8 1.2 FARMING AND BIODIVERSITY.............................................................................................................9 1.3 THE SOUTHERN ARAVA VALLEY DESERT ........................................................................................10 1.4 THE SANDY LANDSCAPE: STRUCTURAL, PHYSICAL AND ECOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS .....................12 1.5 INCENTIVES FOR RESEARCH: VEGETATION COVER AND RODENT ASSEMBLAGE ..............................16 1.6 RESEARCH AIMS & PREDICTIONS.....................................................................................................18 2 METHODS ............................................................................................................................................18 2.1 STUDY SITE ......................................................................................................................................18 2.2 VEGETATION COVER ........................................................................................................................20 2.3 UNDERGROUND WATER TABLE........................................................................................................22 2.4 RODENT COMMUNITY STRUCTURE...................................................................................................25 3 RESULTS ..............................................................................................................................................26 3.1 VEGETATION COVER ........................................................................................................................26 3.2 UNDERGROUND WATER TABLE........................................................................................................31 3.3 RODENT COMMUNITY STRUCTURE...................................................................................................35 4 DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................................................38 4.1 UNDERGROUND WATER TABLE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON VEGETATION COVER............................38 4.2 RODENT COMMUNITY STRUCTURE...................................................................................................41 4.3 SYNTHESIS .......................................................................................................................................45 6 REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................49 6 APPENDICES .......................................................................................................................................57 7 LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1 RESULTS OF 19 BOREHOLES EXCAVATED IN THE STUDY SITE ..................................................................32 TABLE 2 SPSS OUTPUT OF PEARSON CORRELATION ANALYSIS OF ALL MONITORED FACTORS ...................................37 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1 TYPICAL VIEW ON THE SOUTHERN ARAVA, EAST FROM AYIT MOUNTAIN ...............................................12 FIGURE 2 GEOLOGICAL MAP OF THE TIMNA REGION, SOUTHERN ARAVA.............................................................14 FIGURE 3 'SAND ROSE' FOR TIMNA DUNE DURING 2007.................................................................................15 FIGURE 4 AERIAL PHOTO OF THE SOUTHERN ARAVA REGION INDICATING THE TWO SOLE SANDY PATCHES..................19 FIGURE 5 SCHEME OF THE STUDY SITE AND ITS SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT (GIS OUTPUT). ................................20 FIGURE 6 GENERALIZED STRATIGRAPHIC COLUMN AND THE MAIN AQUIFER UNITS IN THE ARAVA VALLEY ...................23 FIGURE
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