Fauna
and Flora of Israel and Adjacent Regions
Background
Flora Palaestina and Fauna Palaestina are two
monumental series published by The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities
with the aim of compiling information on all the
species of plant and animal life in the region. Taking their Latin titles from
the geographical region roughly defined by the former
Roman colony, they are used by botanists and zoologists in Israel and abroad and are among the most-sought after products of
the Academy's Publications Department.
The region’s
highly complex paleogeographic history and generally favorable climatic
conditions have made for an especially rich and diverse biota. However, rapid
population growth, economic development and rising temperatures during the past
half century have caused the erosion and contraction of natural habitats and
changes in the resident biota. Some native species are threatened,
while invasive alien species prosper. The urgent need to inform the scientific
community, policy-makers, administrative officials, and governmental and
non-governmental conservation organizations of the evolving status of the
regional biota calls for the provision of carefully critiqued and timely
updated data.
The new
checklist series The Fauna
and Flora of Israel and Adjacent Regions will offer digitally accessible,
scientifically accurate taxonomic and faunistic checklists as basic reference
works for all studies dealing with the region’s biodiversity, in the areas of
taxonomy and biogeography as well as of physiology, ethology, ecology,
and conservation biology.
Checklists will be accepted for publication in the Fauna
and Flora of Israel and Adjacent Regions following a peer review
process. Updates to the data will be made by the authors or other taxonomists
after their approval by the Fauna and Flora Committee of the Israel Academy of
Sciences and Humanities.