From the Classroom to the Field: Researching Climate Change in the Judean Hills

In early May, students from the "Plant Ecology of Israel" course – led by Prof. Marcelo Sternberg from the School of Plant Sciences and Food Security – headed into the Judean Hills for an in-depth educational field trip. Designed to expose the next generation of ecologists to the region's unique biodiversity and the complexity of Mediterranean vegetation, the tour’s primary destination was Matta LTER.

This unique field laboratory, operated by the Faculty of Life Sciences, is part of the international Long-Term Ecological Research network. There, at a station where continuous data has been collected for over two decades, the students saw firsthand how data-driven science translates slow-moving ecological processes into global climate predictions.

During the visit, students examined the site's advanced experimental infrastructure, including dedicated systems to simulate extreme drought scenarios. This direct encounter with the field underscored the critical importance of multi-year monitoring in understanding environmental resilience against climate change – a core focus of the program.

"The course offers an in-depth introduction to Israel's diverse plant communities by combining these unique field trips to natural areas with rigorous classroom lectures and discussions," explains Prof. Sternberg, emphasizing the value of this firsthand experience. "This is a rare opportunity to get to know Israel's ecosystems up close. The course will be offered again next year, in the spring semester. I highly recommend that anyone passionate about ecology and the environment should sign up – don't miss the registration deadline."