The document discusses how partial shading impacts biodiversity in Israel. It presents case studies showing that shading benefits both woody and herbaceous species as well as rare species. While open areas are commonly thought to support more biodiversity, the studies found that partial shading of around 70-85% provides optimal conditions for plant establishment and growth. In forests with partial shading understories, biodiversity indices like number of plant formations and structural complexity are higher than in open reserves. Certain species like oaks and irises are found in greater numbers in areas with moderate forest coverage of around 40%, which provides enough light and moisture. Overall, the document argues that partial shading is an important factor for biodiversity in Israel rather

1. Partial shading as significant
factor in biodiversity
of plants in Israel
Nir Herr

2. GOALS
•Presentation of the differences in physical conditions between European
countries and Israel and their effect on growing conditions and biodiversity.
•Presentation of a number of case studies on the effect of shading on woody
species, herbaceous species and rare species
• Understanding the importance of partial shading in Israel.
KEY QUESTIONS
• There is a common opinion that biodiversity is more prevalent in open
areas, and therefore the expansion of forests and maquis threatens
biodiversity. But is this really the case?
• What type of diversity of species is needed to sustain an optimal ecological
system?
 General Species diversity (a diversity)
 diversity of various life forms or habitats (b diversity) and structural
complexity.
• What is the main insufficient ecologocal factor in Israel. Do light and water
play a similar role in Israel as they do in other parts of the world?

3. https://solargis.com
Solar resource map © 2021 Solargis
North Africa
Spain
France
Russia
Ukraine
Poland
Romania
Sweden
Britain
Hungary

4. https://www.reddit.com/r/Map
Porn/comments/a4o66s/euro
pe_average_yearly_precipitati
on_link_to/
W i n t e r
‫ינואר‬
England Ukraine
N Spain Turkey
precipitation
temperature
NE Russia
Norway
Jan
Dec
Jan
Dec
Tel Aviv
Israel
Sep
Aug
Precipitation
per year
Precipitation and rain season
Seasons by atlas Karta

5. South Europe and Mediterranean
Irradiation
W i n t e r
Precipitation amount and seasons
Precipitation
per year
Israel has high irradiation, low
precipitation and a long dry
season

6. Overheated
soil
Sunlight as a
necessarry factor
Ground heating
accelerates soil
dryness
Sufficient light
and soil moisture
Excessively
shaded
Sunlight exposure
and soil moisture
interaction with
the soil-rock
system influences
Dense forests and maquis
Lack of moisture at the end of
summer and lack of shade,
herbaceous vegetation only
Vegetation
corresponding
to soil-rock
system

7. According to the “State of Nature Report” (Hamaarag,
2018), in a considerable part of Israel, there was an
increase in the cover of woody vegetation between
2000-2017. (This increase doesn’t take into account
the effects of forest fires.) The increase occurred
despite a number of drought years, and despite trends
of climatic dehydration. The increase is most likely
attributed partly to an increase in growth of maquis,
which adapted to habitat conditions; and partly to a
slight addition of plantings.
Vegetation corresponding to soil-rock system in Israel
The Increase of woody vegetation coverage of in Israel
Does the increase in woody vegetation
cover have a positive or negative effect?
Let’s examine the establishment and
diversity in forest understory
difference
increase
decrease

8. Nimrod forest with understory, and nature reserve
with open terrain, in both sides of the road.
Vegetation formations from both areas shown in
the map and photos
Vegetation formaion
in open nature reserve
‫הכלב‬ ‫ורד‬
‫אורנים‬ ‫יער‬
Rosa canina
‫סחלבן‬
‫החורש‬
Cephalanthera longifolia
‫מצוי‬ ‫אלון‬
‫אחירותם‬
‫סורי‬ ‫אגס‬
Vegetation
in understory
Quercus calliprinos
Pyrus syriaca
Spartium junceum
‫רפואי‬ ‫לבנה‬
Styrax officinalis
‫רפואי‬ ‫לבנה‬
Styrax officinalis Maquis, woodland, garigue,
bata, herbaceous
Veg
formations

9. Orchis tridentata
‫סחלבן‬
‫החורש‬
found in both the forest
and the nature reserve
In forest
Index of overall biodiversity and rare species
In vegetation formations indices
and structural complexity
Therefore, the understory has a slightly smaller variety of species. However the
variety of plant formations, plant types and structural complexity, are much greater.
In these indices, the open nature
reserve has some advantage.
species and very rare in Hermon in forest and
in open reserve
just in
reserve
just in
forest
total
56
43
238
all
species
37
30
157
very rare
in Hermon
vegetation formation and types
and structural comlexity
in open
reserve
in forest
understory
4
8
vegetation formations total
1
3
woody veg. formations
7
12
vegetation types
structural comlexity
up to 2
up to 5
life form and rock >10%
In the open reserve
In vegetation formations
indices and structural
complexity
there is an obvious advantage
to the forest
understory
Most of
the
species
are both
in the two
areas

10. Oak seedling establishment in
the forest understory and under
shade mesh
50%
Glade
0% 70% 90%
Forest
edge
Sparse
Forest
Dense
Forest
Q. calliprinos establishment in forest locations
and under nets. best in sparse forest and 70%
shade Reisman-Berman et al., 2010
South
North
Daily solar radiation in Forest locations.
Reduced radiation in the forest understory
Day hours
Kooper, 2018
bare
understory
Solar
radiation
Day hours
Water
potential
Q. itaburensis
Kooper, 2018
At noon
predawn
CO2 fixation and moisture potential in 85% shaded areas. Sunlight window for 1-3 hours
Photosyntesis - CO2 fixation
No
shade
3
h
window
Water potential
High negative
=High tension
At 70-85% shading, the establishment of Oak trees is optimal.
With 3 hours of daily sunlight, we get good seeds establishment and reasonable water tension

11. Forest canopy effect on herbaceous vegetation and rare species.
Location of rare and endangered species. 100 eucalyptus trees per 1000 m2
Sergeant’s grove in Netanya, 2008 position (by Frumkin, 2008)
And sample locations (Herr, 2020)

12. -
24
- Ordination of parameters
of botanical qualities in
relation to environmental
factors including
eucalyptus cover
botanical qualities
Relation between
eucalyptus cover and
clay soil.
Extremely high
relation of rare and
endangered red
species to Eucaliptus
coverage
Eucaliptus cover
Soil clay
North face
Netanya region:

13. R² = 0.88
R² = 0.88
R² = 0.93
R² = 0.96
R² = 0.90
R² = 0.93
R² = 0.93
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
‫וס‬ ‫אקליפ‬ ‫כיסוי‬
‫וס‬ ‫אקליפ‬ ‫חופת‬ ‫לכיסוי‬ ‫ביחס‬ ‫ניות‬ ‫בו‬ ‫איכויות‬
‫סה‬
‫כ‬
‫עושר‬
‫מיני‬
‫משוקלל‬ ‫עושר‬
‫בוטנית‬ ‫איכות‬
‫אדומי‬ ‫מיני‬
‫נדירי‬ ‫מיני‬
‫משוקללת‬ ‫נדירות‬
‫משוקללת‬ ‫נדירות‬
‫אנדמיי‬ ‫מיני‬
‫מוגני‬ ‫מיני‬
‫פולשי‬ ‫מיני‬
‫ופולשי‬ ‫ייחודיי‬ ‫שקלול‬
‫פולינומיאלי‬
‫סה‬
‫כ‬
‫עושר‬
‫מיני‬
‫פולינומיאלי‬
‫משוקלל‬ ‫עושר‬
‫פולינומיאלי‬
‫בוטנית‬ ‫איכות‬
‫פולינומיאלי‬
‫אדומי‬ ‫מיני‬
‫פולינומיאלי‬
‫נדירי‬ ‫מיני‬
‫פולינומיאלי‬
‫משוקללת‬ ‫נדירות‬
‫פולינומיאלי‬
‫ופולשי‬ ‫ייחודיי‬ ‫שקלול‬
‫ופולשי‬ ‫ייחודיי‬ ‫שקלול‬
‫משוקללת‬ ‫נדירות‬
‫אדומי‬ ‫מיני‬
‫משוקלל‬ ‫עושר‬
‫נדירי‬ ‫מיני‬
‫מיני‬ ‫עושר‬
‫בוטנית‬ ‫איכות‬
‫משוקללת‬ ‫נדירות‬ ‫אחוז‬
(
‫קו‬ ‫מוצג‬ ‫לא‬
)
R2=0.71
R² = 0.12
R² = 0.12
R² = 0.19
R² = 0.18
R² = 0.25
R² = 0.24
R² = 0.21
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
‫לחרסית‬ ‫מחול‬ ‫קרקע‬
‫הקרקע‬ ‫לחרסיתיות‬ ‫ביחס‬ ‫ניות‬ ‫בו‬ ‫איכויות‬
‫סה‬
‫כ‬
‫עושר‬
‫מיני‬
‫משוקלל‬ ‫עושר‬
‫בוטנית‬ ‫איכות‬
‫אדומי‬ ‫מיני‬
‫נדירי‬ ‫מיני‬
‫משוקללת‬ ‫נדירות‬
‫משוקללת‬ ‫נדירות‬
‫אנדמיי‬ ‫מיני‬
‫מוגני‬ ‫מיני‬
‫פולשי‬ ‫מיני‬
‫ופולשי‬ ‫ייחודיי‬ ‫שקלול‬
‫פולינומיאלי‬
‫סה‬
‫כ‬
‫עושר‬
‫מיני‬
‫פולינומיאלי‬
‫משוקלל‬ ‫עושר‬
‫פולינומיאלי‬
‫בוטנית‬ ‫איכות‬
‫פולינומיאלי‬
‫אדומי‬ ‫מיני‬
‫פולינומיאלי‬
‫נדירי‬ ‫מיני‬
‫פולינומיאלי‬
‫משוקללת‬ ‫נדירות‬
‫פולינומיאלי‬
‫ופולשי‬ ‫ייחודיי‬ ‫שקלול‬
‫ב‬
.
‫משוקללת‬ ‫נדירות‬ ‫אחוז‬
(
‫קו‬ ‫מוצג‬ ‫לא‬
)
R2=0.45
-
26
- Netanya
region -
parameters
of botanical
qualities in
relation to
eucalyptus
canopy cover
and soil clay
Parameters of
botanical
qualities and
especially
species
richness, with
high
significance in
relation to
eucalyptus
cover, much
more than any
other
environmental
factor
Species
richness
Red species
Botanical qualities in relation to
eucalyptus canopy cover
By Polynom functions
Botanical qualities in relation to
soil clay
% Eucaliptus cover cover
Soil change from soil to clay

14. In pine forest edge Iris and partial shading.
Iris bismarckiana was found in high density at Eucalyptus stand
‫נצרתי‬ ‫אירוס‬
In Eucaliptus forest

15. Iris and partial shading. Iris haynei in an open pine forest
‫הגלבוע‬ ‫אירוס‬
R² = 0.2607
-1000
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
0 20 40 60 80
‫יער‬ ‫כיסוי‬
‫אירוסים‬ ‫כמות‬
‫אירוסי‬ ‫כמות‬
‫פולינומיאלי‬
‫כמות‬
‫אירוסי‬
Iris amount in
relation to forest
coverage
% forest cover
Ordination: Iris in
relation to
environmental
factors.
Adaptation to
porous rock of
upper Bar Kokhva
formation and
sparse forest
Numerous iris
clusters on the
upper Bar Kokhba
formation and in an
open forest. More
precisely - 40%
forest cover (In this
region of dry
mediteranean)

16. • In the eastern Mediterranean, the limiting factor is not sunlight but
water stored and remained in the habitat
• The shading of forest and maquis reduces soil dehydration and
water stress of understory vegetation
• The weighting of the factors of shading that reduces soil
dehydration with the entry of a sufficient amount of light, leads to
the advantage of understory under partial shading of forest at
medium density
• The advantage is expressed in the establishment of woody species,
herbaceous species, and rare and red species
• Total species diversity (a diversity) may be higher in the open areas,
but the diversity of vegetation formations and types (b diversity)
and structural complexity is usually higher in the understory.
Summary

17. Thanks
Guy Shachar
Guy Vidal
Yuval Sapir
Margareta Walchak
Roey Harel
Ephi Naim
Ygal Moyal
Noami Margalit
And thank you