Skip to main content
  • Book
  • © 2008

Arid Dune Ecosystems

The Nizzana Sands in the Negev Desert

  • A case study in the Negev desert valid also for other sandy ecosystems
  • An interdisciplinary investigation of a highly complex and dynamic ecosystem
  • Discusses the obtained data also regarding global climate change

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies (ECOLSTUD, volume 200)

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check for access.

Table of contents (30 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-6
  2. The North-Western Negev

    1. Geological Background of the Nizzana Area

      • R. Ben-David, A. Yair
      Pages 9-15
    2. Geo-Ecology of the North-Western Negev Sand Field

      • A. Yair, M. Veste, S. -W. Breckle
      Pages 17-24
    3. Formation and Geomorphology of the North-Western Negev Sand Dunes

      • H. Tsoar, D. G. Blumberg, R. Wenkart
      Pages 25-48
    4. The Regional Climatic Setting

      • T. Littmann, S. M. Berkowicz
      Pages 49-63
    5. Soil Characteristicsand Pattern of the Nizzana Research Site

      • H. -P. Blume, L. Beyer, U. Pfisterer, P. Felix-Henningsen
      Pages 65-77
  3. Ecosystem Patterns

    1. The Flora of the Nizzana Research Site

      • K. Tielbörger, R. Prasse, H. Leschner
      Pages 93-103
    2. The Vegetation of the Nizzana Research Site

      • K. Tielbörger, R. Prasse, R. Bornkammz
      Pages 105-124
    3. A Glance on the Fauna of Nizzana

      • J. Filser, R. Prasse
      Pages 125-147
    4. Biological Crusts

      • B. Büdel, M. Veste
      Pages 149-155

About this book

Sand dune dynamics plays a key role in many arid deserts. This volume provides a synthesis of a specific sand dune ecosystem, the Nizzana site in the Negev Desert. Describing its climate and geophysical/geochemical properties of soils, geological history, flora and fauna, and past/present land-use patterns, it elucidates ecological and geomorphological processes and their interrelations, based on long-term monitoring, in situ experiments and satellite imagery. Particular attention is drawn to the impact of the topsoil biological crust in controlling water availability at local/regional scales. The interdisciplinary approach adopted in this case study offers a good example of a highly complex and dynamic system, which could easily be applied to other sandy ecosystems.

This is a valuable source of information for soil ecologists and microbiologists, conservation biologists, desert ecologists and geographers, geomorphologists, soil scientists and climatologists, lecturers, policy makers and others interested in deserts and desertification.

Reviews

From the reviews:

"The book … offers a comprehensive view of the dune system of the Nizzana area situated in the eastern margins of the Sinai Desert (Israel). The Nizzanna Research site is a long-term research facility that has accumulated interdisciplinary knowledge through time. … If you are scientifically, academically or professionally interested in desert dune systems or if you have the intellectual curiosity in the complex and fascinating world of dunes, this is a book you should not miss." (José Luis Rubio, ESSC Newsletter, Issue 3, 2009)

Editors and Affiliations

  • Department of Ecology, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany

    Siegmar-W. Breckle

  • Department of Geography, Mount Scopus Campus, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

    Aaron Yair

  • Institute of Botany, Experimental Botany, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany

    Maik Veste

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access