This volume contains not only papers which were presented at the
workshop held at the University of Kiel, Germany, on the "Importance
of Physical Factors in Arid Ecosystems Research”, but also projects in
progress or referred to at the meeting and which have since come to
fruition. The papers fall into four main categories - soils, soil
organisms, vegetation, and ecology. Many of the papers reflect
research carried out in the Negev desert of Israel within the
experimental stations of the AERC - Avdat, Nizzana and Sede Boker;
others were undertaken in east Sahara.
On the subject of soils, Blume et al. describe soil formation and
ecology of sand dunes. Alaily and Pohlmann analyzed the structure of
extremely arid soilscapes using Landsat data. Amit and Harrison
studied the influence of biogenic processes on calcic soil
formation. Singer highlighted similarities and differences in the soil
mineralogy of hot and cold deserts.
The role of animals in desert ecosystems is reflected in the papers of
Steinberger and Shachak et al., whereas the role of microbes was
studied by Yechieli et al.
Holzapfel et al. examined the effect of site conditions on vegetation
in a desert environment, while El-Kady et al. investigated the
influence of landuse on vegetation. Pollination of desert plants was
studied by Küchmeister et al. and by Wolf and Shmida. Schreiber et
al. synthesized many years of integrated interdisciplinary research in
desert ecology.
We trust that this volume will be of interest to those working in
geo-ecology.
Preface
S.M. Berkowicz, H.-P. Blume & A. Yair
The Arid Ecosystems Research Centre of the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem 1
A. Singer
The mineral composition of hot and cold desert soils 13
Y. Steinberger
Soil fauna in arid ecosystems: Their role and functions in organic
matter cycling 29
M. Shachak, C.G. Jones & S. Brand
The role of animals in an arid ecosystem: Snails and isopods as controllers of
soil formation, erosion and desalinization 37
H.-P. Blume, A. Yair & D.H. Yaalon
An initial study of pedogenic features along a transect across
longitudinal dunes and interdune areas. Nizzana Region, Negev, Israel
51
R. Amit & J.B.J. Harrison
Biogenic calcic horizon development under extemely arid conditions,
Nizzana sand dunes, Israel 65
F. Alaily & J. Pohlmann
Soil mapping of Bir-Tarfawi Region (SW-Egypt) based on digital
classification of Landsat-MSS-data 89
H.F. El-Kady, M. Ayyad & R. Bomkamm
Vegetation and recent land-use history in the desert of Maktala, Egypt 109
R. Kadmon & H. Leschner
Ecology of linear dunes: Effect of surface stability on the distribution and abundance of annual plants 125
C. Holzapfel, W. Schmidt & A. Shmida
The influence of site conditions on plant species richness, plant
production and population dynamics: Comparison of two desert types 145
H. Küchmeister, A. Shmida & G. Gottsberger
Phenology and pollination ecology of the desert plant Moricandia
nitens (Brassicaceae) in the Negev, israel 157
M. Wolf & A. Shmida
Association of flower and pollinator activity in the Negev Desert,
Israel 173
A. Yechieli, A. Oren & A. Yair
The effect of moisture distribution on bacterial numbers and microbial
activities along a hillslope, Northern Negev, Israel 193
K.F. Schreiber, A. Yair & M. Shackak
Ecological gradients along slopes of the Northern Negev Highlands,
Israel 209
