Evaluation of the ornithogenic influence on the trophic state of East Mediterranean wetland ecosystem using trend analysis.

The Great Rift Valley portion of the East African-Eurasian Migratory Flyway is extremely important globally because of the numbers (>500 million) and diversity of seasonal traveling birds. The construction of the Agmon wetland (1.1km(2)) in the Hula Valley, Israel in 1994 and a change in crop type and rotation has attracted increasing number of Eurasian cranes (Grus grus) to winter in the wetland (>40,000 in 2014).

The impact of ornithogenic inputs on phosphorous transport from altered wetland soils to waterways in East Mediterranean ecosystem.

Large flocks of Eurasian crane (Grus grus, >35,000) have begun wintering in an altered wetland agro-ecosystem located in Northern Israel, a phenomenon that attracts more than 400,000 eco-tourists a year. A 100-ha plot has been used to feed the cranes in order to protect nearby fields. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of this bird's feeding practice on the P status of the altered wetland soils and waterways.

Washout of accumulated testosterone in a watershed.

Testosterone is constantly excreted into the environment by both human and animal sources but little is known about how it is transported in the environment. In this study, testosterone was measured in 15 sites in the Upper Jordan Valley after major rain events (238 samplings) for two consecutive rain seasons. The area consists of small farms, cattle pasture, fish ponds with some urban development.

Spatial analysis of phosphorus sorption capacity in a semiarid altered wetland.

The observed increase in phosphorus (P) loading into the Jordan River could increase eutrophication processes in Lake Kinneret, the only freshwater lake in Israel, which provides 25% of the country's drinking water. The P may originate from the peat soils of the highly altered Hula Valley's semiarid wetland ecosystem through which the Jordan River runs. The objectives of this research were to ascertain the sorption capacity of these soils and to identify areas with high potential for P release from soils to ground water.