Figure 2: View of Yatir Forest, with the Negev desert in the background.
Forests are complex ecosystems that support small plants, animals, birds and insects. Humans too live in or near forests and exploit their products for construction and fuel materials, food, and even vital medicinal plants. In particular, contemporary society also takes advantage of them for recreational use. As in other land-based ecosystems, it is climate, soil, water and forest properties (tree species, tree density, age) that determine the variety of plants and animals that can live in forests. In turn, forests and their living creatures interact with one another and the environment, thereby impacting climate, water resources and soil. An understanding of these complex interactions may be gained through long-term studies of plant growth, water movement, soil composition and meteorological data.
