Desert Plant Communities in Human‐Made Patches‐‐Implications for Management

We measured productivity and diversity of annual plant communities in human—made pits and mounds (20 ° 30 ° 100 cm) in the Northern Negev of Israel. We differentiated the species according to propagule size, dispersal mode, and geographical distribution in Israel. Our results in 28 experimental units containing a pit, a mound, and a portion of the undisturbed surrounding "matrix" showed that species richness, total plant density, and biomass yield were higher in the pits and mounds than in the matrix. Soil moisture at 0—15 cm depth was higher in the pits, but lower in the mounds relative to the matrix. Species with larger propagules (>5 mm) became more abundant, and those with tinyseeds (