Responses of two species to drought suggest different water-use strategies, reflecting their topographic distribution.

Introduction: Soil water availability is a key factor in the growth of trees. In arid deserts, tree growth is limited by very dry soil and atmosphere conditions. tree species are distributed in the most arid deserts of the globe, therefore they are well adapted to heat and long droughts.

Differential climatic conditions drive growth of Acacia tortilis tree in its range edges in Africa and Asia.

Premise: Tree growth is a fundamental biological process that is essential to ecosystem functioning and water and element cycling. Climate exerts a major impact on tree growth, with tree species often requiring a unique set of conditions to initiate and maintain growth throughout the growing season. Still, little is known about the specific climatic factors that enable tree growth in savannah and desert tree species.

Airborne dust absorption by semi-arid forests reduces PM pollution in nearby urban environments.

Dust storms are a major source of global atmospheric particulate matter (PM), having significant impacts on air pollution and human health. During dust storms, daily averages of atmospheric PM concentrations can reach high levels above the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline for air quality. The objective of this study was to explore the impact of forests on PM distribution following dust events in a region that is subjected to frequent dust storms (Northern Negev, Israel).