Yatir Forest

Yatir Forest (Hebrew: יער יתיר) is a forest in Israel on the edge of the Negev Desert. The forest covers an area of 30 km2 (12 sq mi), and is the largest planted forest in Israel. The forest (like most other forests in Israel) was planted in by the Jewish National Fund, which continues to expand it. History The first trees were planted in 1964 by the Jewish National Fund at the initiative of Yosef Weitz. It is named after the ancient Levite city of Yatir. Over four million trees have been planted, mostly coniferous trees - Aleppo pine and Mediterranean cypress, but also many broad-leaved trees such as Atlantic terebinth, tamarisk, jujube, carob, olive, fig, eucalyptus and acacia, as well as vineyards and various shrubs. Yatir Forest has changed the arid landscape of the northern Negev, despite the pessimism of many experts. It has proven to be a prime ecological instrument, halting the desertification on the heights northeast of Beersheba. The forest is situated at a relatively high altitude (between 400–850 m (1,310–2,790 ft) above sea level) in a semi-arid region with an average yearly precipitation of 300–350 mm (12–14 in) and low humidity. The ground is made of hard lime rocks, and soft chalk rocks. The Israel National Trail, marked in 1991 runs through the forest. Yatir forest is located on the trail south of Meitar and north of Arad. Related pages List of forests in Israel Jerusalem Forest Eshtaol Forest Jewish National Fund References Other websites Yatir Forest on the Jewish National Fund website Weizmann Institute's Yatir Forest research group Weizmann Institute study suggests that rising carbon dioxide levels might cause forests to spread into dry environments