Performance of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) provenances grown at the edge of the Negev desert: A review

This paper reviews and summarizes the results of research projects conducted in the Aleppo pine provenance trial in the Yatir forest, located at the northern edge of the Israeli Negev desert, under semi-arid climate. Results show that to improve the sustainability of new Aleppo pine plantations at the edge of deserts, prospective seed sources (provenances) must be selected for heterozygosity on one hand, and for drought resistance and water-use efficiency on the other. Harsh environmental site conditions at the desert's edge provide an opportunity to exert heavy selection pressure among and within provenances of a priori drought-tolerant species. The survivors should be used as the seed source for new forest plantations aimed at combating desertification.