The coastal plain sands—home to endemic and psamophilous species—are shrinking rapidly. In 40 years, the active dune area has shrunk from 18% to less than 4%. Vegetation encroachment (sand sedge, blue acacia), accelerated development, and light and noise pollution are reducing habitats, fragmenting populations, and endangering key species. The State of Nature report calls for halting the trend, declaring reserves, and focused ecological restoration.
By: Tomer Atir, Zveta - news agency for science and the environment
The soft sands between the city and the sea seem obvious to us. This is where we walk barefoot, rest, play. And breathe a sigh of reliefBut behind the familiar landscape lies a world that is disappearing: the sands of the coastal plain, which for thousands of years served as home to a variety of unique species, are disappearing. Exposed sand dunes have given way to spreading invasive vegetation, accelerated real estate development, and increasing noise and light pollution – all of which threaten entire ecosystems. The Natural State of the Weave Report for 2023 presents a worrying picture of a rapidly changing reality – raising difficult questions about the future of the plant and animal species that live only here, and our responsibility to preserve the little sand that remains.
All the way from the Sahara
"The natural environment on the coastal plain is unique. Most of the plant and animal species originate from the Sahara," says Dr. Itai Ranen, director of the the weave – The National Nature Assessment Program. “Among other things, endemic animals and plants live in the coastal plain sands – that is, species that are not found anywhere else in the world and that are not found in other areas of the country or that are few in number, and therefore it is important to protect their habitat.” During his studies, Renen discovered a new species of beetle that was unknown to science and was called: Rasta Sharonit. “It is a beautiful beetle, relatively large, 2 cm in size, that is found only in the coastal plain sands. It is called Sharonit after my wife – Sharon,” Renen shares.
The report surveyed the coastal plain sands. According to the findings, in the last 40 years, the size of the area that still functions as an active dune without vegetation has decreased from 18 percent to less than 4 percent of the natural area of the coastal plain sands. In the Nitzanim Nature Reserve, for example, invasive vegetation has taken over the sandy landscape.
Road in the middle of the house
The coastal plain sands face many challenges. For example, the area is a destination for extensive real estate activity that includes development pressures on natural areas and disturbances on the edges of settlements such as noise and light pollution. Of the areas examined in Israel, the coastal plain has the most severe light pollution. In terms of animals, light pollution It can lead to damage to spatial orientation, communication, sleep, reproduction, and biological rhythms. Another problem that results from this is the fragmentation of habitat. The roads prevent the passage of some pseudophile species – species adapted to living in sandy environments – that move only on sandy soil, effectively imprisoning them on sand islands. “The way to deal with the loss of these habitats is to declare nature reserves,” explains Renan. According to him, this challenge characterizes other countries along the Mediterranean coast. “In all of them, intensive development is taking place on the coasts.”
The invaders take over
Invasive species like the sand thorn plants And a bluish method Changing habitat conditions. In their natural state, the coastal plain sands are characterized by sparse vegetation in the sandy landscape, but invasive species stabilize the sandy soil and fill the surface with vegetation cover. According to Renan, the native flora is also spreading rapidly in light of the cessation of grazing, logging, and gathering that were previously common in the sands.
Stabilized soil covered with vegetation harms species like the lizard Copper-plated sand which specializes in burrowing in sand. "That's what it can do: crawl on and in the sand. When the ground is stabilized, it won't be able to survive there," he explains. This situation could put local species at risk EndangeredAccording to the report, the mammal Marion dune is already in danger of extinction, and the mammals Southern gerbil and sand gerbil and the plants Guma Sharoni and Marcia sibirica are defined as near-threatened, at low risk or with a threatened future. "Plants like Rotem and Yeadida dune are suitable for maintaining the sandy area and enable the existence of species unique to the coastal plain sands."
The main goal
"An effective and innovative solution for treating the blue-green method is the use of In the Kotel "The Milestone weed, which contains the active ingredient aminopyralid," explains Dr. Oded Cohen, an invasive plant researcher at the Shamir Research Institute and a research fellow at the University of Haifa. "The drip-spray method is based on cutting one centimeter deep into the trunk and dripping a tiny amount of the substance. It penetrates through the scars on the tree, is carried to the roots and dries the weed within weeks to months," he explains. At the same time, the main challenge that remains is dealing with the seed bank of the blue weed. According to Cohen, even many years after the treatment, we can find germination in the field. Therefore, it is necessary to treat the blue weed for several years. "The invasive species itself is never the target of the treatment. The goal is always something bigger, like preserving biological diversity," says Cohen.
According to the report, ways of restoring the psemophilous flora and fauna that live in the sands of the coastal plain must be examined so that the Sharonite, the Marion, and other species can enjoy the little sand they have left. "There is nothing stopping the trend of the disappearance of the sands. That is why it is intensifying," says Renan. For this reason, it is important to find a way to protect the sands - not only for a pleasant walk for us, but also for the continued existence of the unique animals and plants on the coastal plain.
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