completely absent from this area, and it survives in Israel only in the sands of the
northwestern Negev Desert (Bouskila and Amitai 2001; Bouskila 2004).
Very little is known about arthropod assemblages in the Mediterranean Basin
coastal sand dunes in relation to the state of dune stabilization. A detailed study at
Nizzanim LTER Nature Reserve, aimed at defining such assemblages, found that
among the arthropods (Ramot 2007), there are 131 species from more than 30
families, 10 orders, and 6 classes. The beetles (Coleoptera) are the dominant order
with 24 species that belong to the Tenebrionidae family and 13 species from the
Carabidae family. Two different assemblages can be observed that correlate significantly with sand mobility rate and plant perennial coverage: one on mobile sand
dunes (10–15 % plant coverage) and the other on stabilized dunes (30–65 % plant
coverage). The semi-stabilized dunes host species either characteristic to mobile
dunes or stabilized ones, depending on the stabilization level of each particular dune.
Likewise, a few indicator species were found whose abundance indicates the
mobility rate of the dunes. For example, Scarites striatus (family Carabidae) and
Mecynotarsus bison (family Anthicidae) are found only on mobile dunes, while
Carabus impressus hybridus (family Carabidae) is found on stabilized dunes.
Twenty-two arthropod species are distributed in Israel only along the coastal
sand dunes and all of them except one, Ocypus ophthalmicus (Staphylinidae), are
characteristic to sand dunes. Thirteen species out of the 22 are considered to be
endemic to the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Sinai, Cyprus, and Saudi
Arabia), whereas two of them, Arenivaga hebrea (Polyphagidae) and Chrysolina
ruffoi benijaminica (Chrysomelidae), are endemic only to Israel. Eight species out
of the 13 favor sandy habitats with low vegetation coverage (mobile and semistabilized dunes) and the other five are found on mesic habitats with high vegetation coverage (stabilized dunes). Five of the nine non-endemic species that are
also distributed in Europe and Asia are characteristic of mesic habitats. All nine
species, except one, are characteristic of dune habitats.
Some stiletto flies and their relatives are also endemic to coastal dunes in Israel.
One such example is Stenomphrale teutandhameni, a ‘‘window fly’’ (Diptera:
Scenopinidae). Other species found include the stiletto flies Neotherevella citrina
and Rueppellii thoracica, both confined to the coastal strip of North Africa and Israel.
Several new insect species from Nizzanim Nature Reserve have been discovered,
including leaf beetles and a fly (Coenosia freidbergi) (Lopatin and Chikatunov 1999;
Pont and Grach 2008). These flying insects lay their eggs only in mobile dunes.
11.3 The Evolution of the Sand Dunes and the Role
of Human Interference
Over the last 50 years, the shifting coastal dunes, which are considered ecologically valuable, have been increasingly subjected to shrub and dwarf-shrub
encroachment. Aerial photographs taken in 1944 show that a large area of the
present dunes was once made up of active barchans and transverse dunes, with
176
P. Bar (Kutiel)
northwestern Negev Desert (Bouskila and Amitai 2001; Bouskila 2004).
Very little is known about arthropod assemblages in the Mediterranean Basin
coastal sand dunes in relation to the state of dune stabilization. A detailed study at
Nizzanim LTER Nature Reserve, aimed at defining such assemblages, found that
among the arthropods (Ramot 2007), there are 131 species from more than 30
families, 10 orders, and 6 classes. The beetles (Coleoptera) are the dominant order
with 24 species that belong to the Tenebrionidae family and 13 species from the
Carabidae family. Two different assemblages can be observed that correlate significantly with sand mobility rate and plant perennial coverage: one on mobile sand
dunes (10–15 % plant coverage) and the other on stabilized dunes (30–65 % plant
coverage). The semi-stabilized dunes host species either characteristic to mobile
dunes or stabilized ones, depending on the stabilization level of each particular dune.
Likewise, a few indicator species were found whose abundance indicates the
mobility rate of the dunes. For example, Scarites striatus (family Carabidae) and
Mecynotarsus bison (family Anthicidae) are found only on mobile dunes, while
Carabus impressus hybridus (family Carabidae) is found on stabilized dunes.
Twenty-two arthropod species are distributed in Israel only along the coastal
sand dunes and all of them except one, Ocypus ophthalmicus (Staphylinidae), are
characteristic to sand dunes. Thirteen species out of the 22 are considered to be
endemic to the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Sinai, Cyprus, and Saudi
Arabia), whereas two of them, Arenivaga hebrea (Polyphagidae) and Chrysolina
ruffoi benijaminica (Chrysomelidae), are endemic only to Israel. Eight species out
of the 13 favor sandy habitats with low vegetation coverage (mobile and semistabilized dunes) and the other five are found on mesic habitats with high vegetation coverage (stabilized dunes). Five of the nine non-endemic species that are
also distributed in Europe and Asia are characteristic of mesic habitats. All nine
species, except one, are characteristic of dune habitats.
Some stiletto flies and their relatives are also endemic to coastal dunes in Israel.
One such example is Stenomphrale teutandhameni, a ‘‘window fly’’ (Diptera:
Scenopinidae). Other species found include the stiletto flies Neotherevella citrina
and Rueppellii thoracica, both confined to the coastal strip of North Africa and Israel.
Several new insect species from Nizzanim Nature Reserve have been discovered,
including leaf beetles and a fly (Coenosia freidbergi) (Lopatin and Chikatunov 1999;
Pont and Grach 2008). These flying insects lay their eggs only in mobile dunes.
11.3 The Evolution of the Sand Dunes and the Role
of Human Interference
Over the last 50 years, the shifting coastal dunes, which are considered ecologically valuable, have been increasingly subjected to shrub and dwarf-shrub
encroachment. Aerial photographs taken in 1944 show that a large area of the
present dunes was once made up of active barchans and transverse dunes, with
176
P. Bar (Kutiel)