Land-use changes interact with geology to facilitate dispersal of the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) and leishmaniasis across Israel and the West Bank.

ABSTRACT: Geology plays a fundamental role in establishing species' habitats, determining both physical (e.g., landscape morphology, soil texture) and chemical (e.g., mineral composition, water availability) properties. In the current Anthropocene epoch, human activity is transforming Earth's geology and ecosystems. Yet to date, there have been almost no studies incorporating geology when examining the effect of such land-use changes on species distribution. This study seeks to uncover how specific land-use changes interact with geology, in order to explain the recent and rapid expansion of the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) across the mountains of central Israel and the West Bank. Hyraxes are dependent on rock mounds for their habitat, and their expansion seems to be correlated with increasi

SUBMITTER: Ben-Moshe N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10030234 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature