Climatic trends in Israel 1970–2002: warmer and increasing aridity inland

Abstract

Climatic trends in Israel during the period 1970-2002 were studied in detail on the basis of three parameters: average annual temperature, annual precipitation and the annual aridity (humidity) index P/PET (P = Precipitation; PET = Potential Evapotranspiration). Significant warming is evident in all 12 evaluated meteorological stations, situated in different parts of Israel. Along the Mediterranean coast, the average annual precipitation and P/PET values remained more or less at the same level. However, more inland, both eastward and southward, precipitation and P/PET trends are declining, indicating increased aridity. Eilat, Beer Sheva and Sedom Pans, situated in the desert, showed the most significant increase in aridity among the 12 meteorological stations we investigated. The relationship between changes in temperature and precipitation showed a negative correlation in all cases except for Eilat, the southernmost and driest part of Israel. The negative correlations for Negba, Kefar Blum, Har Kena'an, Beer Sheva and Sedom Pans are statistically significant. In conclusion, the climate in Israel has become more arid in most regions, except for the coastal plain.

Remote Sensing of Shrubland Drying in the South-East Mediterranean, 1995–2010: Water-Use-Efficiency-Based Mapping of Biomass Change

“…There is distinctive evidence of decreasing biomass across a wide range of shrublands, dwarf-shrublands and plantations from the Avisur Highlands (45 cm/yr) southward. Since human disturbance had not increased across the study area (e.g., [33][34][35]), these results support the findings of Ziv et al [50] and Kafle and Bruins [51] and suggesting increasing aridity in desert fringe ecosystems. However, it is important to mention that the finding reported for the areas south of Yatir Forest is the result of the afforestation works initiated by the Forest Commission of the JNF (Jewish National Fund) during the late 1990s in order to combat desertification in this region.…”

Short communication: Effects of summer rainfall variations on sheep body state and farming sustainability in sub-Mediterranean pastoral systems

“…Consistently with previous research (Vázquez de Aldana et al, 2008;Kafle & Bruins, 2009) we observed that the variation of rainfall amount reflects in the phytomass production of grasslands, since the year with higher summer rainfall had the higher average summer phytomass production and vice versa. likely, of greater nutritional value, since summer rainfall worsens the forage feed value, because of the senescence of summer leaves, which is a mechanism of drought resistance Volaire et al, 2014).…”

The Paleo-Anthropocene and the Genesis of the Current Landscape of Israel

“…1a) and runs along the transitional climate zone between the sub-humid Mediterranean climate in the north and semi-arid regions in the south (Fig. 1b, Kafle & Bruins, 2009). The land hosts four phytogeographic zones: Mediterranean, Irano-Turanian (Asian steppes), Saharo-Arabian (Sahara, Sinai and Arabian deserts) and Sudanian (subtropical savannas of Africa) (Danin, 1988).…”