A5090626575- Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology
- Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Aeolian processes and effects
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Remote Sensing in Agriculture
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Soil Geostatistics and Mapping
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Air Quality and Health Impacts
- Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
- Ecosystem dynamics and resilience
- Remote Sensing and Land Use
- Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity
- Plant and animal studies
Agricultural Research Organization
2015-2024
Kaye Academic College of Education
2023-2024
Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography
2023
Chinese Academy of Sciences
2023
Gilat Satellite Networks (Israel)
2006-2020
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
2005-2018
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
1999-2009
Innovation Ecology (Israel)
2008
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
1986-1995
DuPont (United States)
1986
Experiments suggest that biodiversity enhances the ability of ecosystems to maintain multiple functions, such as carbon storage, productivity, and buildup nutrient pools (multifunctionality). However, relationship between multifunctionality has never been assessed globally in natural ecosystems. We report here on a global empirical study relating plant species richness abiotic factors drylands, which collectively cover 41% Earth's land surface support over 38% human population....
Soil bacteria and fungi play key roles in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, yet our understanding their responses to climate change lags significantly behind that other organisms. This gap is particularly true for drylands, which occupy ∼41% Earth´s surface, because no global, systematic assessments joint diversity soil have been conducted these environments date. Here we present results from a study across 80 dryland sites all continents, except Antarctica, assess how changes...
Abstract One of the most ubiquitous patterns in plant ecology is species loss following nutrient enrichment. A common explanation for this universal pattern an increase size asymmetry light partitioning (the degree to which large plants receive more per unit biomass than smaller plants), accelerates rates competitive exclusions. This ‘light hypothesis’ has been confirmed by mathematical models, but never tested natural communities due lack appropriate methodology measuring communities. Here,...
Abstract Dryland vegetation is characterized by discrete plant patches that accumulate and capture soil resources under their canopies. These “fertile islands” are major drivers of dryland ecosystem structure functioning, yet we lack an integrated understanding the factors controlling magnitude variability at global scale. We conducted a standardized field survey across 236 drylands from five continents. At each site, measured composition, diversity cover perennial plants. Fertile island...
This study provides new insights into how the soil microbiome of urban greenspaces differs from surrounding natural ecosystems.
Abstract Soil contamination is one of the main threats to ecosystem health and sustainability. Yet little known about extent which soil contaminants differ between urban greenspaces natural ecosystems. Here we show that adjacent areas (i.e., natural/semi-natural ecosystems) shared similar levels multiple (metal(loid)s, pesticides, microplastics, antibiotic resistance genes) across globe. We reveal human influence explained many forms worldwide. Socio-economic factors were integral explaining...
Summary Plant communities show two general responses to gradients of soil resources: a decrease in species richness at high levels resource availability and an associated shift composition from small slow‐growing large fast‐growing species. Models attempting explain these have usually focused on single pattern provided contradicting predictions concerning the underlying mechanisms. We use extension Tilman's competition model investigate hypothesis that both patterns may originate...
Abstract Aim Geographical, climatic and soil factors are major drivers of plant beta diversity, but their importance for dryland communities is poorly known. The aim this study was to: (1) characterize patterns diversity in global drylands; (2) detect common environmental diversity; (3) test thresholds conditions driving potential shifts species composition. Location Global. Methods Beta quantified 224 from 22 geographical regions on all continents except Antarctica using four complementary...
Little is known about the global distribution and environmental drivers of key microbial functional traits such as antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Soils are one Earth's largest reservoirs ARGs, which integral for soil competition, have potential implications plant human health. Yet, their diversity patterns remain poorly described. Here, we analyzed 285 ARGs in soils from 1012 sites across all continents created first atlas with distributions topsoil ARGs.
The accumulation and excretion of fumaric acid, to a lesser extent malic succinic acids, by Rhizopus arrhizus occurs under aerobic conditions in high-glucose medium containing limiting amount nitrogen neutralizing agent (CaCO 3 ). An overall four-carbon dicarboxylic acid molar yield up 145% (moles produced per mole glucose utilized) is obtained after incubation for 4 5 days. Evidence presented that fumarate synthesized from pyruvate via carboxylation reaction yielding oxaloacetate, which...
Arid and semi-arid ecosystems are often characterized by vegetation patchiness variable availability of resources. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) 16S rRNA gene fragment analyses were used to compare the bulk soil microbial community structure at patchy arid landscapes. Multivariate PLFA data fragments in agreement with each other, suggesting that differences between communities primarily related shrub vs intershrub patches, irrespective climatic or site differences. This suggests mere...
Abstract Aim Changes in global climate and land use are expected to alter water nutrient availability. Various meta‐analyses large‐scale experiments show that increasing availability is decrease the diversity of ecological communities, but so far, no study has attempted provide a global‐scale perspective responses manipulation. Location Global. Methods We conducted meta‐analysis focusing on effects additions both species richness biomass herbaceous plant communities. identified 41 addition...