Reuven Yosef - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Reuven Yosef

Sustainability, Mar 20, 2024

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Journal of Arid Environments

Humans increase the limited number of daylight hours available to them by using artificial light ... more Humans increase the limited number of daylight hours available to them by using artificial light at night (ALAN) to improve their ability to continue functioning under light conditions. Several studies found that ALAN has multiple impacts on wildlife, and even humans. We examined whether the prey of striped hyenas (Hyaena hyaena), a commensal of human-altered areas, has adapted to this change in the natural environment. We collected prey remains in 12 different dens during 20 breeding attempts between 1993 and 2022. Our analysis shows that ALAN had no impact on diet or den distribution in central Israel. We were able to identify 654 prey items from 49 species in the dens. We divided the species into five main groups: domestic animals (11 species), wild mammals (19), reptiles (3), and birds (17). Domestic animals were the most numerous in the diet. We also found vegetative species, mainly fruits and vegetables, of 10 species in the dens. In conclusion, our study shows that the plasticity of striped hyena feeding behavior, which may vary depending on geographical region and habitat, and is influenced by human and livestock waste disposal. Their respectful behavior and tolerance of human disturbance make the striped hyena an exceptional carnivore, providing ecosystem services. Therefore, public awareness of the importance of protecting this species in the Middle East must be developed to raise appropriate environmental education programs for the public.

Scientific reports, May 31, 2024

Tourism pressure on the Red Sea ecosystem have posed significant threats to numerous endemic spec... more Tourism pressure on the Red Sea ecosystem have posed significant threats to numerous endemic species, including the Ghost Crab Ocypode saratan, which is exclusively found along a small stretch of beach in the Eilat/Aqaba Red Sea Gulf. Due to the limited understanding of their ecology, we investigated how tourism impacts the behavior of this species. Employing a natural setup, we compared burrow dimensions, pyramid structures, and density across three distinct beach sections subjected to varying levels of human interference. Access to a secluded beach, referred to as "No Man's Land," provided a crucial control for our study. This facilitated a comparative analysis of ghost crab activity among beaches experiencing differing levels of human disturbances: (1) a tourist beach characterized by continual high disturbance, (2) a naval beach subject to moderate and sporadic disturbances, and (3) the isolated "no man's land" beach devoid of human presence. Our observations revealed notable differences in ghost crab density among the three beaches. Furthermore, we observed that on the secluded beach, larger individuals tended to establish burrows farther from the waterline and construct taller sand pyramids. Given the significance of sexual selection processes, their conservation becomes imperative for the survival and potential expansion of the ghost crab population across the Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba. We propose a straightforward and cost-effective strategy: the designation of short, secluded beach enclaves along this gulf. We believe that this approach will mitigate adverse impacts of tourisms while simultaneously benefiting various sandy beach species.