Regeneration and mortality of woody species in the Mediterranean landscape

In Ramat HaNadiv Nature Park, a nature reserve in northern Israel, regenerative processes occur side by side with woody species mortality, mainly of common oaks (Quercus calliprinos). Tree mortality is primarily driven by two factors: first, a-biotic disturbances such as fire, floods and droughts. Secondly, mortality can be caused by biotic effects such as disease, old age, human utilization and competition effects. My research focused on two processes that drive the dynamics of Mediterranean woody vegetation: the response of woody vegetation to human based disturbances, and quantifying various factors that lead to oak mortality.

The main objectives of this research were: 
(1) to quantify the effects of different disturbance based management treatments on the spatiotemporal dynamics of woody vegetation in the LTER (long term ecological research) area in Ramat HaNadiv;
(2) to characterize and quantify the relative weights of environmental conditions compared to different types of competition in causing oak mortality in Ramat HaNadiv.

Therefore, management treatments aimed at increasing the resilience of oak stands in the face of climate change should account for multiple ecological processes, which I elaborate on in this study.
The results of this research present us with a better understanding of various processes that control woody vegetation dynamics in Mediterranean landscapes. This understanding may allow us to predict environmental changes that would alter woody vegetation across landscapes. This information, ultimately, is invaluable for creating effective management strategies that create and maintain fuel breaks to protect habitats from wildfires on one hand, and may promote oak stands that are more resilient to environmental change.