Orenstein featured in story about protecting arid ecosystems in populated areas of Israel
In 2018 Fellow Daniel Orenstein helped narrate an interactive website for an EU-funded project he participated in.
The ECOPOTENTIAL project uses Earth Observation analyses in the Israeli desert to examine natural and human-induced changes in the landscape and assesses ecosystem services for improved management and planning in the area.
Residential development and the associated human pressures it brings (e.g. infrastructure, tourism, grazing and agriculture) pose some of the biggest threats to maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services in Har HaNegev (Portnov and Safriel, 2004; Orenstein et al., 2009). This is due to disturbances and changes, including conversion of natural land, construction of roads, electricity, water pipes, communication lines, and harmful outputs of solid waste, toxins, and sewage. Settlements draw invasive plants and animals, and bring domestic animals (cats and dogs) that hunt or compete with wild species for resources.
