Environmental and Land Use Studies
Israel

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A program offered by the Department of Resource Development, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources,
arranged through the Office of Study Abroad, Michigan State University


SPRING BREAK 2007 (Mar. 2, 2007 - Mar. 11, 2007)

SPRING BREAK 2008 (Feb. 29, 2008 - Mar. 9, 2008)

SPRING BREAK 2009 (Mar. 6, 2009 - Mar. 15, 2009)

INTRODUCTION: Israel represents a long and varied cultural history. It is the intersection of two seas, three continents and three major religions with many historical sites, crusader castles, ancient ports and spice routes where seamen, pilgrims and famous traders and travelers settled and migrated. It varied ecosystems include mountain environments, the rift valley and desert landscapes. It was home to traveling tribes, diverse armies and merchants in camel caravans, to sheikhs’ tombs with whitened domes, silent monasteries and ancient synagogues decorated with colorful mosaics.

Today, the country represents many cultures, customs, religions and traditions, resulting from ancient commerce routes, conquering armies – including the Canaanites, Hebrews, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottoman Turks and the British – and old and recent settlements.

TOPOGRAPHY: Three main geographic regions can be identified. They include the coastal plain, the mountain region, and the rift valley.

The soil in the coastal plain is fertile, generally with adequate water sources, and includes the country’s major settlements, including Tel Aviv and Haifa. The eastern coastal plain comprises the lowlands – moderate hills that create a transitional region between the coast and the mountains.

The mountain region stretches from the Lebanese border to Eilat Bay, the northernmost point of the Red Seas, and between the coastal plain and the Jordan Rift Valley Rift. Its highest peaks are the Galilee's Mt. Meron at 1,208 meters above sea level, Samaria's Mt. Ba’al Hatsor at 1,016 meters and the Negev's Mt. Ramon at 1,037 meters above sea level. This more sparsely populated region consists mainly of stony or rocky ground. The climate in the northern part is Mediterranean and rainy, while the southern sections are semi-arid or desert.

The Jordan rift valley extends the entire length of Israel from the north to the Red Sea in the south. It is one of the world’s main geological features easily discernable from space. It was caused by complex volcanic and seismic activity, and is part of the Afro-Syrian rift which extends from the Syrian-Turkish border to the Zambezi River in Africa. Israel's largest river, the Jordan, flows through the Jordan Valley and includes Israel's two lakes, the Sea of Galilee and the largest body of fresh water in the north and the salt water body of the Dead Sea, with 400 meter below seas level, the lowest point on earth.

CLIMATE: This is a subtropical region of the eastern Mediterranean has two basic seasons: a hot, dry summer period and a cold, semi-wet to wet winter period. As a result of Israel’s position between a sea and a desert, and more localized influences such as altitude and distance from the sea, Israel's climate is varied, offering tourists in the winter such choices as Mt. Hermon and swimming in the Bay of Eilat.

Three climatic regions can be distinguished: a) the prevalent climate in most of central and northern Israel is Mediterranean, characterized by hot summers and rainy winters, b) the coastal plains, humid during the summer and comfortable during the winter, and c) the mountains, with dry summers – especially in the south - and cool to cold winters – especially in the north. The study site in the south has a desert climate with hot, dry weather and substantial day-night temperature differences, especially in the winter. During the winter, day temperatures are comfortable with very little rainfall, especially in the Southern Negev.

As example of climate variations throughout the year, the variations for Jerusalem are provided, below:



FAUNA AND FLORA: Due to its climatic and elevation differences, Israel offers a wealth of plant life. Israel’s flora has approximately 2,380 species, including many endemic. This variety exceeds many far larger countries.

The largest concentration of plant life can be found in the Mediterranean region, mostly in the forms of thicket and undergrowth. As all Middle Eastern countries, much has been deforested but few impressive remnants of indigenous forest in the mountainous regions remain (for instance on Mt. Carmel and Mt. Meron in the Galilee). In the desert regions, plant life is sparse, with a few enclaves of subtropical species such as at Ein Gedi (next to our field site) and in the Jordan Valley. The semi-arid region has both desert and Mediterranean plant life. Israel has several botanical gardens, such as at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Mt. Scopus campus, which is dedicated entirely to Israel's wild plant life.

WILDLIFE: Israel provides rich habitat for wildlife, including animals originating in various zoogeographical regions that surround the country. This is particularly evident among insect and bird varieties, although reptiles and mammals are also well-represented. Israel has about 100 species of wild mammals, an impressive number as compared to the 140 varieties in all of Europe. Animals that originate in the cooler European region are found alongside mammals originating in desert regions of Arabia and Egypt with mammals that originate in Africa and in the Indian subcontinent. Although many Israeli mammals are rare or nocturnal, several can be spotted including deer, ibex, hyrax and jackals.

About 510 species of birds have been spotted in Israel, most of them migratory species that fly through in the fall and spring. Migrations can be observed form nearby field locations such at the Kibbutz Lotan Bird Watching Center in the Arava and at the International Birding and Research Center in Eilat (50 km south). At Eilat, Israel's southern tip on the coast of the Red Sea, is a rich world of marine life, including tropical fish and colorful coral. Many can be observed at Eilat's Underwater Observatory and Marine Museum, or by scuba diving in the area.

 

INFO FOR THIS YEAR'S PARTICIPANTS

-For those with fast connections this file contains all of the information student's may need during the program. For those without fast connections or who want to view the information on the web please click the link above.

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