WP leader: Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Linda Olsvig-Whittaker
The EBONE project is centered on Europe but aimed at a global system. Hence it is essential to test the methodology developed across the world. The objective of WP9 is to test and adapt the system developed for Europe in areas outside Europe. Two partners, Israel and South Africa, are testing EBONE methods in Mediterranean to desert biome gradients. Of necessity, there is interconnection of WP9 to all other work packages where methods are being tested and developed..
The Israeli partner INPA is testing the EBONE methodology within LTER sites in Mediterranean and desert biomes, in collaboration with the Israeli LTER partners (see http://aristo4bgu.bgu.ac.il/maarag/Default.aspx). The South African partner CSIR is testing EBONE methodology within analogous Biota-Africa sites (see http://www.biota-africa.org/ )
In 2009, WP9 has been developing General Habitat Categories for arid regions; and a revised manual was produced to include desert and semi-desert categories and descriptors. At present, field trials for remote sensing and habitat mapping have been done in the Negev (desert) and Carmel (Mediterranean) areas in Israel. Analysis of remote sensing data in the Biota-Africa Namib transect stations is underway as well.
