Tamar Dayan
Tamar Dayan is a Professor of Zoology at Tel Aviv University. She studies the ecology and evolution of communities with special interests in the evolution of human's interactions with their environment, the evolution of body size and the evolution of activity patterns. In recent years, Tamar has shifted much of her research program into conservation biology, in an attempt to help meet the huge environmental challenges that the State of Israel faces.
Israel's Natural Heritage Treasures
Studying the Past as a Key to the Future
- Friday 1:30PM–2:45PM Empire Room 1
Tel Aviv University holds the treasures of Israel's past natural heritage and the country's biodiversity. From the first modern humans out of Africa, to the last Nile crocodile of our region, these artifacts are a scientific treasure that provides insight and knowledge into our living environment. What is their future? And why do we care?
Planning for the Future
Climate Change, Open Landscapes and Biodiversity
- Saturday 1:00PM–2:15PM Cousin Brucie
Israel is very heavily populated, and the Zionist ethos of development, coupled with rapid population growth, puts a serious strain on the open spaces of the country. Open spaces are significant for recreation, tourism, aquifer recharge, and biodiversity conservation. This is a particular challenge in view of impending climate change. How can we adapt?
From Hunters-Gatherers to Pastoralists
The Origins of Levantine Animal Domestication
- Sunday 1:00PM–2:15PM Cousin Brucie
The shift from hunter-gatherer societies to agriculture is perhaps the greatest revolution in human lives ever. It began in the fertile crescent, and the earliest domesticate, the dog, was probably domesticated in Israel. Key to understanding this shift are prehistoric sites and animal bone remains in them. These tell the stories of the history of humans and their environments.
Israel and the Global Biodiversity Crisis
- Monday 11:15AM–12:30PM Empire Room 3 North
One of the greatest environmental challenges is the biodiversity crisis – the rapid loss of species and ecosystems due to human pressures on the environment. Israel, with a very high diversity of living organisms, is a heavily populated country undergoing rapid population growth and development and is therefore particularly susceptible to this threat and must adapt to meet this challenge.
|
