Disappearing Desert: Guarded Border Imperils Ecosystem
Disappearing Desert: Guarded Border Imperils Ecosystem
April 15, 2011
The high-security border between Israel and Egypt is causing Israel’s sand dunes along the border to crust over with green algae that make the sand hard and crunchy.
Egypt’s dunes, on the other hand, remain soft, yellow and rippled — mainly because nomadic Bedouins are still allowed to graze their sheep and goats there.
“The contrast is so stark that, in satellite images, the sharp yellow-green line is the most visible border in the world from above,” says Dr. Yaron Ziv, a landscape ecologist in Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s Life Sciences Department.
Now, as the crust slowly takes over Israel’s Negev desert, Ziv and colleagues are beginning to document a surprising variety of life in the area.
They have compiled a list of gerbils, snakes, beetles and other animals that live only in this corner of the world, some of which are brand new to science. And they are finding that the crusts pose a major threat to the region’s biodiversity.
Similar kind of environment Researchal shifts are also happening in deserts regions far beyond the Middle East.
Read full article on the Discovery News Web site>>
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
For all press inquiries, please contact:
James Fattal, J Cubed Communications
516.289.1496
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