Sustainable management of coastal dune ecosystems for biodiversity conservation

Amos Bouskila, Boaz Shacham, Nati Kashi, Pua Bar (Kutiel), Elli Gruner, Michael E. Irwin, Mark Andersen, Haim Tsoarm, Dan Blumberg

Shrub encroachment occurs on certain parts of the coastal sand dunes of Nizzanim. The study aims are to:

1. Determine the optimal plant cover that will simultaneously facilitate sand mobility and high sand-dwelling biodiversity;

2. Evaluate the potential for specific species to act as indicators of psamophilic species diversity in dune systems;

3. Ascertain the impact of woody vegetation removal on the rates and patterns of re-establishment by native, sand-dwelling organisms (plants, arthropods, reptiles and small mammals) and on the interactions between them.

Plant cover reduction in a densely covered dune. Photo: Elli Gruner	Sphenops sepsoides, a typical sand dweller skink. Photo: Amos Bouskila