Biodiversity in Israel and Palestine

Biodiversity in Israel and Palestine is about the

The region of Palestine with the Gaza Strip, Israel, and the West Bank are located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, traditionally called the Levant. Israel is bounded on the north by Lebanon and on the northeast by Syria. Jordan lies to the east and southeast of the West Bank and Israel; Israel and the Gaza Strip are bordered on the southwest by the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula and on the west by the Mediterranean Sea.

Climate

The region is divided into three major climate zones, and one microclimate zone:

1. The
   scrubland, marsh and savanna
   -like-grassland. The fauna and flora are mostly of European origin.
2. The
   scrub
   . The fauna and flora are mostly of Asian and Saharan origin.
3. The
   Jordan Valley. Rainfall is as low as 32mm per year in the southernmost tip of Palestine/Israel in the Arabah valley. This dry climate zone grows scattered shrub vegetation or desert-grassland in its wetter parts. In the more arid regions, the vegetation is confined to dry riverbeds and gullies, known as wadis and in some places it is almost absent. In some of the greater valleys, desert-scrub and acacia
   -woodland are to be found. The fauna and flora are mostly of Saharan origin. Sudanese flora is present as well.
4. The Tropical (Sudanese) Microclimate^{[clarification needed]} by the springs of the Judean Desert. Refers mostly to Ein Gedi spring and Arugot creek. Due to the high aquifer in the region, and the steady, hot climate of the Judean desert, a tropical savanna-related flora (not rainforest, as many think) of East-African origin has established in the area of the springs. The fauna is that of the Desert zone.

The climate is determined by the location between the subtropical aridity of the

• Flora of Israel Online, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem [1]
• BioGIS: Israel Biodiversity Information System [2]
• Botanical Garden University E Book [3]
• Biodiversity of Jordan and Israel [4]

Articles

• Bird Species in Israel [5]

Societies

• Palestine Wildlife Society [6]
• Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority [7]

Bird watching

• Birding Israel: the world of birds, birding tours and birdwatching in Israel [8]
• International Center for the Study of Bird Migration [9]
• The Israeli Center for Yardbirds [10]
• The Jerusalem Bird Observatory [11]

Photographers

• Rittner Oz. Amazing collection of great images of small creatures in the area with fine scientific classification. [12]
• Ilia Shalamaev: Excellent photographs of wildlife in the area. [13]
• Vadim Onishchenko [14]
• The Edge [15], A searchable collection of nature photos. Search for Palestine, Israel in the database. Site created by Niall Benvie

Neighbouring countries

• The Arabian Oryx Website [16]

Biologists

Nature conservation projects

Natural reserves

Selected images

• 
  Cyclamen persicum
• 
  Anemone coronaria
• 
  Haloxylon persicum
• 
  Scabiosa prolifera