The main factor affecting vegetation formations distribution in each climate and microclimate in Israel, is the structure and character of rock-soil system. Plant species adopt specific water regime in the rock-soil systems as habitat, dependent on their physiological characters. In chalk, rainfall penetrates the porous rock, followed by slow infiltration along potential gradient toward the roots. The porosity and hardness of the chalk, as well as soil pocket size, have significant influence on the vegetation species. Quercus calliprinos maquis grow on porous and soft chalk. Q. ithaburensis woodland grow on moderate chalk with soil-pockets. However, on hard chalk only garrigue and batha develops. In limestone, rainwater comprised with CO2 create weak acid, and dissolves the upper rock. In dolomite, where dissolving is limited, infiltration water may remain aggressive, forming karstic voids by dissolving at the epikarst. Later it can filled by soil. This process can be olso on macricristaline limestone. Consequently, deep soil pockets support deep roots of Q. calliprinos to form maquis הגורם העיקרי לתפרוסת תצורות הצומח בכל סביבה אקלימית ומיקרואקלימית בישראל הוא מבנה ותכונות מערכת הסלע-קרקע. הדבר מתבטא במשק המים המתפתח במערכת זו, ותכונותיהם הפיסיולוגיות של הצמחים בהתאמה לגורמים הסביבתיים. הקירטון קולט את מי הגשמים בנקבובים המיקרוסקופיים, ומשחרר אותם באיטיות לכיוון מתח המים שיוצרים השורשים. להבדלים קטנים במידת הנקבוביות, בקשיות הסלע ובכיסי קרקע הנוצרים בסלע ישנה השפעה מכרעת על מיני הצומח המעוצה. על קירטון נקבובי גדל חורש אלון מצוי, על קירטון בינוני עם כיסי קרקע מתפתח יער אלון התבור, ועל קירטון קשה יותר גדלות רק בתות. באבן גירCaCO3 , מי הגשם יחד עם CO2 יוצרים חומצה חלשה הממיסה את הסלע בחלקו העליון. בדולומיט CaMg(CO3)2 ההמסה מעטה יותר, המים המחלחלים נשארים תוקפניים וממשיכים להמיס את סדקי הסלע כלפי מטה ויוצרים חללים קרסטיים. בחללים אלה נוצרים כיסי קרקע מעמיקים המאפשרים את קיומו של חורש אלון מצוי באזורים ההרריים. כיסים מעמיקים עשויים להיווצר גם באבן גיר גסת גביש. מעברים בין אבן גיר ודולומיט, וביניהם לבין קירטונים גורמים למעברים בין בתות, שיחיות וחורשים.

1. Geological, chemical, and physical
factors affecting rock-soil
systems
..............................................
which controls
vegetation formations
in Israel
Nir Herr
Forest department, Northern region, KKL-JNF
And
Amos Frumkin
Institute of Earth Sciences,
the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

2. Rock arrangement origin
Rock-soil system – development and properties
Habitats in the rock-soil system
Forests and maquis respectively
Processes stages…

3. 0
-1.0-
- 2.0 -
- 3.0 -
- 4.0 -
- 5.0 -
Soil
depth
Quercus ithaburensis
woodland
Quercus calliprinos
Maquis on chalk
Porosive
chalk
Shallow
Limestone
and hard chalk
Karstic
Dolomite
or
coarse limestone
Quercus calliprinos
Maquis
on karstic system
Batha

4. ‫ה‬
Chalk and limestone creation. Ramat Menashe syncline as a test case
Benthos organisms skeletons are dissolved and later precipitate as limestone with fossils
The sea became deeper. More plankton
Micro-fossils skeletons fall on the bottom and create chalk

5. ‫ה‬
Herbaceous
Herbaceous
Batha
and
garigue
Batha
and
garigue
Rock
Surface erosion
Soil
Vegetation
Water regime
Q. Ithab.
woodland
Q.
Ithaburensis
woodland
Q.
Calliprinos
maquis
Rock
Soil
Habitats and vegetation
Ramat Menashe syncline – continue – habitats development

6. Now we shall look on
the extensive maquis on
the hard rocks on the
main ridge of Israel
0
-1.0-
- 2.0 -
- 3.0 -
- 4.0 -
- 5.0 -
Soil
depth
Quercus ithaburebsuis
woodland
Quercus calliprinos
Maquis on chalk
Porosive
chalk
Shallow
Limestone
and hard chalk
Karstic
Dolomite
or
coarse limestone
Quercus calliprinos
Maquis
on karstic system
Batha
Oaks habitats

7. The deposition
environment of
Judea group in
Western Galilee
(by Kafri, 1972)
Geological cross section in Adamit region (Kafri, 1972) Sub-marin ridges and basins in Galilee
in the cenomanian-turonian
Dolomite
CaMg(CO3)2
Limestone
Ca CO3
Chalk
Ca CO3
Deep sea
Shallow sea
Hot, salty
evaporatic
Tidal zone Mg
Sub-marine
ridge
Sub-marine
basin
Judea group - from the ancient
to the recent environment
Sakhnin dolomite
Rosh Hanikra chalk
Bi’na limestone
Judeagroup
Mt. scopus group
Time zones
Changes in time and space make vertical and lateral changes

8. CO2
H2O
+
H2CO3 CaCO3+ Ca(HCO3)2
On microcrystalline limestone
The Calcium carbonate of the
limestone dissolves
to soluble calcium bi-carbonate
The non soluble residue
generates soil
+CaMg(CO3)2
Moderate dissolving
Aggressive
solution
Deep Karstic disolving
In dolomite we get
deep epi-karstic shafts,
Later filled with deep soil
On limestone
On dolomite
On dolomite
Maquis can grow on
the deep soil pockets
Hydro
carbonate
acid

9. Dense maquis in galilee on geological mapes
Western Galilee
isohyets
Dense maquis
Planted forest
Legend
Sakhnin dolomite
Bi’na limestone
High Galilee
Sakhnin D
Bi’na L
More precipitation – more maquis
More on the dolomite
When it is on the limestone?

10. Dovev maquis towards the
depressed maquis in Lebanon
Lebanon
Dovev
Bar’am
Deir Hanna
dolomite
+limestone
+chalk
Kfar Shamay
In K. shamay maquis
Dense Maquis on dolomite
Sparse (or without) maquis on limestone
Maquis in Israel continue as depressed in Lebanon
Bar’am oaks
Nature reserve
In Bar’am-Dovev region, Upper Galilee
In Meron-Shamay region

11. Netu’ah
Fasuta
Abirim
Elkosh
Dense Maquis on Sakhnin dolomite
on limestone dense and sparse maquis, and open lands
Why is this differentiation on the Bi’na limestone?
Fasuta-Netu’ah region – maquis on dolomite. The question of the limestone

12. Dense maquis
(not in survey)
Netu’ah
Fasuta
The dense maquis
on the Bi’na is near
dolomite Sakhnin
The herbaceous are
Near Mt. Scopus gr.
Fasuta-Netu’ah region – vegetation map on orthophoto and geology
Dense maquis
Open maquis
Open garigue
Herbaceous

13. Transition zone
dolomite-limestone
Lower member
coarse grain
crystaline
limestone
"“Meleke type
partly dolomitic
Upper member
finely grain
Well-bedded
limestone
"“Hilu lithographic
type
Chalk and chalky
limestone of Mt.
scopus group
Columnar section
of Bi’na formation
(Gilon site, Kafri, 1963)
Bi’na formation
Sparse maquis
depressed
maquis
Herbaceous only
Vegetation formations
on Bi’na limestone
in Fasuta region
Bi’na lithology controls
vegetation types
Dense maquis
Moderate maquis

14. 0
-1.0-
- 2.0 -
- 3.0 -
- 4.0 -
- 5.0 -
Soil
depth
Quercus ithaburensis
woodland
Quercus calliprinos
Maquis on chalk
Porosive
chalk
Shallow
Limestone
and hard chalk
Karstic
dolomite
Quercus calliprinos
Maquis
on karstic system
Bata
Oaks habitats
Tree drying after dry years
Limited reservoir…

15. Summary and conclusions
• Water dynamics in rock-soil system as the main factor affecting vegetation
formations
• Quercus ithaburensis habitat is mainly on shallow soil pockets in chalky rock
•Quercus calliprinos maquis with deep roots grows in two habitats:
 in cracks in porous chalk
 in karstic shafts in rainy regions (limited water reservoir)
• The arrangement of the sea depth, fauna composition, and deposition
processes, determined the rock arrangement, and the distribution of recent
forests and maquis
Thank you

16. Reefs and dolomitic belts
in western-central Galilee (kafri, 1972)
Panel diagram of geological formations in the Galilee Appendix