Environment, Biodiversity, and Conservation in the Middle East

Environment, Biodiversity and Conservation in the Middle East......Page 1
Title Page......Page 2
Contents......Page 4
The effects of climate change on biodiversity: Pressing issues and research priorities......Page 6
Reference......Page 8
Introduction......Page 10
The problem of the contact with the Red Sea......Page 12
The mid-Pliocene optimum and the Gelasian crisis......Page 13
The Pleistocene and the contact with the Tropical West Atlantic......Page 14
Congruence and equifinality allow re-colonization and enrichment......Page 16
The newly active Gibraltar Portal......Page 18
The tropical enrichment of the Mediterranean......Page 19
The limits of the Tethyan return......Page 20
References......Page 22
Keywords......Page 26
Biodiversity – a complex issue......Page 27
BioFrankfurt’s strategic approach......Page 28
Conclusions......Page 29
References......Page 30
Introduction......Page 32
Fauna and flora translocation......Page 35
Topsoil storage and land restoration......Page 37
On-site mitigation......Page 38
Sympathetic planting and maintenance......Page 39
Enclosed animals......Page 40
Off-site mitigation......Page 41
References......Page 42
Keywords......Page 44
Introduction......Page 45
KBA Sites......Page 46
Biodiversity observations......Page 48
Definition of management issues......Page 51
Discussion of management recommendations for southern KBA sites......Page 53
Conclusions......Page 54
Acknowledgements......Page 57
References......Page 58
Keywords......Page 60
Introduction......Page 61
Objectives......Page 62
Satellite image processing......Page 63
Vegetation......Page 65
Habitat classification system for the southern Marshlands of Iraq......Page 66
Habitat Types......Page 67
Conclusions and recommendations......Page 71
References......Page 72
Keywords......Page 74
Introduction......Page 75
Sample collection, cyanobacterial cultivation and identification......Page 76
Sequencing and analysis of cyanobacterial 16S rRNA genes......Page 77
Physical and chemical properties of the samples collected......Page 78
Microscopical observations of the spring samples and the cyanobacterial cultures obtained......Page 79
16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic diversity of cyanobacteria......Page 80
Nitrogen fi xation studies on the thermophilic cyanobacteria......Page 82
Discussion......Page 83
References......Page 85
Keywords......Page 88
Methods......Page 89
Phytoplankton diversity......Page 91
Temporal variability of phytoplankton......Page 92
Spatial variability of phytoplankton......Page 94
Relationship between phytoplankton community and environmental variables......Page 96
Discussion......Page 98
References......Page 101
Keywords......Page 102
Methods......Page 103
Results and discussion......Page 104
Acknowledgements......Page 113
References......Page 114
Keywords......Page 116
Materials and methods......Page 117
Results and discussion......Page 118
References......Page 125
Appendix 1.......Page 128
Introduction......Page 132
Materials and methods......Page 133
Species diversity......Page 134
Species composition of different regions of Israel......Page 135
Substrates......Page 136
Geographic distribution......Page 138
Ecology of the lichen species studied......Page 139
References......Page 140
Introduction......Page 142
Ex situ conservation......Page 143
“Quasi in situ” conservation......Page 144
Application: Iris atrofusca of the northern Negev as a case study......Page 148
Inventory and demographic observations......Page 149
Effect of rhizome initial size on growth and flowering......Page 152
Small scale relocation experiment......Page 153
Germination......Page 154
Creation of quasi in situ living collections......Page 156
Large scale relocation experiment......Page 157
Small scale relocation experiment......Page 159
Distribution in the Negev and population demography......Page 160
Ex situ implications......Page 161
Acknowledgments......Page 162
References......Page 163
Introduction......Page 166
Methodology......Page 167
Fish fauna observations......Page 168
Freshwater fishes of Iraq – a new field guide......Page 170
Discussion of fish fauna in the southern marshes of Iraq......Page 172
Acknowledgements......Page 175
References......Page 176
Keywords......Page 178
Introduction......Page 179
Species composition and temporal occurrence......Page 181
Relative abundance and ecological indices......Page 184
Discussion......Page 186
References......Page 188
Introduction......Page 192
Materials and methods......Page 193
Results and discussion......Page 194
Acknowledgements......Page 207
References......Page 208
Introduction: The focus on birds......Page 210
Summary of bird observations......Page 212
Globally threatened birds in the southern marshes of Iraq......Page 213
Other birds of conservation concern in the southern marshes of Iraq......Page 220
Other linked conservation developments......Page 221
Recommendations......Page 222
References......Page 223