Active wind‐borne sand dunes, which lead to covering of fertile soils and agricultural fields, are one of the main problems in desertified lands worldwide, and stabilizing them poses a significant challenge. Such sand dunes may be naturally stabilized by biocrusts (biological soil crusts). One of the main restraints of biocrust development is the typical lack of fine particles in sand dunes. A possible artificial source of fine particles is coal fly‐ash, which is the by‐product of power stations and comprises of particles having a diameter of less than 100 µm. This study tested the influence of the coupling effects of coal fly‐ash and bio‐inoculant of filamentous cyanobacteria, isolated from natural stabilized sand dunes nearby, on the soil surface of active sands for increasing resistance to wind erosion. Boundary‐layer wind tunnel experiments were conducted in experimental plots within a greenhouse for examining the effects of adding coal fly‐ash and bio‐inoculant to active sands. The biocrust development was evaluated via several physical and bio‐physiological variables. In all the physical measurements and the bio‐physiological variables, the treatment of “sand + inoculum + coal fly‐ash” showed significant differences from the “sand‐control”. The combination led to the best results of surface stabilization in boundary‐layer wind tunnel experiments, with the lowest sand fluxes. The filamentous cyanobacteria use the fine particles of the coal fly‐ash as bridges for growing toward and adhering to the large sand particles. The cumulative effects of biocrusts and coal fly‐ash enhance soil surface stabilization and may allow long‐term sustainability. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Abstract:The aim of this study was to investigate the function of tree belts in reducing the aeolian transport of dust particles carrying pesticides. The study examined the importance of the buffer zones created by commonly planted trees (Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Pinus halepensis (pine) and Ceratonia siliqua (carob)). The methods include analyzing the quantity and the chemical composition of pesticides carried by aeolian dust particles from the intensively cultivated fields and orchards, where pesticides were applied, towards the tree belts nearby. Eighteen different chemicals used as insecticides, fungicides and herbicides, were found both in the agricultural fields and in the adjacent tree belts, suggesting an important function of the trees. This ecological service has rarely been taken into consideration by management policies of tree plantings in farmland areas. To integrate this service into agriculture, especially in the case of agricultural fields and orchards, which are adjacent to populated areas, planting tree belts should be positively considered as a means for reducing aeolian dust and air pollution, mainly in order to reduce leakage of pesticides, which are a cause for significant health concerns.

Grazing in nature reserves, or other sensitive lands, could affect the abundance of important plant species. In the Mediterranean basin, the Anemone coronaria is considered a flagship geophyte species. Studies conducted in the Mediterranean region of northern Israel showed that livestock grazing increased the abundance of A. coronaria. This was attributed to the consumption of other herbaceous vegetation species, resulting in better accessibility of A. coronaria to sunlight. Also, it was suggested that consumption of this species is limited due to its toxicity. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of livestock on the abundance of A. coronaria, and on specific soil properties in a dryland environment, where primary productivity is determined by water availability. A long-term study was established in the Israeli Negev, where early-, mid-, and late-season grazing treatments took place over the course of a decade, and studied over three consecutive years between 2013/ 2014 and 2015/2016. The study revealed that the abundance of A. coronaria followed the order of non-grazing (control) > late-season grazing > mid-season grazing > early-season grazing. However, this effect was not significant (p = .0668).One way or another, the largest adverse impact of early-season grazing is attributed to consuming fresh and not yet toxic shoots of A. coronaria at that phenological stage. The soil properties were studied in summer 2016. The analysis showed a significant increase in bulk density under all of the grazing treatments compared with those in the control plots. It was concluded that, in drylands, trampling over wet soil during the growing season increases its compactability, degrading the soil-moisture status, and limiting A. coronaria abundance. Recommendations for nature conservation in drylands are, therefore, to negate grazing during A. coronaria's early-growing season, as well as shortly after rain events when the soil moisture level is high.