We tested the role of interspecific competition in driving species distribution at multiple spatial scales using two sibling species of Galerida larks (G. cristata and G. theklae) in Morocco (sympatry), Balearic islands (G. theklae only) and Israel (G. cristata only). We first investigated regional-scale determinants by contrasting allopatric versus sympatric patterns in five distinct habitat t...

New evidence indicates that sand availability does not only control dune type but also the underlying dune growth mechanism and the subsequent dune orientation. Here we numerically investigate the development of bedforms in bidirectional wind regimes for two different conditions of sand availability: an erodible sand bed or a localized sand source on a non-erodible ground. These two conditions ...

Sand dunes are unique ecosystems with distinct features which limited the accumulation of biomass. The distance from seashore affects both the physical properties of the sand dunes and the biota living above- and below ground. The goal of the present study was to determine the effects of the distance from shore to inland on soil bacterial community composition during wet and dry season. We stud...

abstract- over the past 50 years, oil mulching has been a common technique for sand dune stabilization in the southwest of iran (khuzestan province). however, concerns over the release of heavy metals from oil mulching have led to the search for alternative mulches that are capable of stabilizing sand dunes without environmental hazards. this study investigates the feasibility of using sugarcan...

Sand dunes can be active (mobile) or stable, mainly as a function of vegetation cover and wind power. However, there exists as yet unexplained evidence for the coexistence of bare mobile dunes and vegetated stabilized dunes under the same climatic conditions. We propose a model for dune vegetation cover driven by wind power that exhibits bistabilty and hysteresis with respect to the wind power....

Introduction: Eolian dune fields found within Ti-tan's equatorial region between +30° latitude cover approximately 15-17% of the moon's surface [1]. These dominantly linear dunes are similar in form, size, and radar reflectivity to the large dunes of the Namib, Saharan, Saudi Arabian, and Australian deserts [2][3]. Earth analog studies indicate that the presence of linear dunes suggests adequat...

Archinamaqua gen. n. lyleae sp. n. (Pimeliinae Latreille, 1802, Tentyriini Eschscholtz, 1831) is described from the sand dunes of Namaqualand in northwestern South Africa. It is related to the genera Broomium Koch, 1950 and Archinamibia Koch, 1952. All these taxa are wingless and highly adapted nocturnal sand dwellers in dry habitats of the same area in northwestern South Africa and southern Na...

erosion by wind is one of the most important factors in desert environment. prevailing winds can shift sand dunes and affect their accumulation. also, wind regime determines the direction of sand dune mobility. the aim of this research was to investigate sand drift potential using sand movement models. for this research, wind data between 1986 and 2005 from the meteorological station of yazd we...