Michael Avishai used to order from the IBS Seed Exchange. Dell -----Original Message----- From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Lee Poulsen Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 8:14 PM To: PBS Society Subject: [pbs] Israeli Controversy Blossoms Over Protecting Gilboa Iris(Iris haynei) - Science This article just showed up in this week's Science magazine. Does anyone grow Iris haynei? Is it difficult? How rare is it? Didn't Michael Avishai, the director of the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens mentioned in the article, used to be on one of the bulb lists? --Lee Poulsen Pasadena area, California, USDA Zone 9-10 ====================================== SCIENCE VOL 308 27 MAY 2005 p. 1251 Ecology Israeli Controversy Blossoms Over Protecting Gilboa Iris A proposed eco-friendly settlement on Mount Gilboa has enraged Israeli scientists,who say it will trample on a beloved national icon MOUNT GILBOA, ISRAEL---Every March, tourists clog the narrow road snaking up this mountain to enjoy the spectacular blooming of the purple Gilboa iris. But this year the rare flower, a national icon unique to the ridge, has also become a major bone of contention between settlers of a proposed ecofriendly town and Israeli scientists who call the settlement "an ecological crime." The fight is part of a larger battle over preserving open spaces in a country where environmental concerns often take a back seat to an Israeli imperative to build on the ancient land. The new settlement, called Michal, would sit atop the Gilboa ridge in northeastern Israel, just east of the West Bank. Two years ago, Israel's Nature and Parks Authority approved a plan to build 120 housing units on 0.15 square kilometers after the regional government agreed to set aside 63 sq. km., including the eastern slope of the ridge, as a permanent nature preserve. "Nature gets a lot," said an authority spokesperson. Settlers say they want to implement ambitious plans for energy-efficient homes, recycling, and the use of native plants. "We want to live with nature," says software engineer Aviv Harary, a community leader who notes that each iris in the path of the new settlement will be transplanted before construction begins. But a coalition of Israeli scientists has filed an off icial objection to the settlement, arguing that any construction, however benign, risks "total extinction" of the iris. They hope to influence the deliberations of Israel's national planning council, the last in a series of bureaucratic hurdles that must be cleared before construction can begin. The scientists are joined by the Society for Protection of Nature in Israel, which uses the iris in its logo and says the flower is one part of a distinctive blend of desert, steppe, and Mediterranean conditions on the mountain. Encouraged to come to the area by a regional government seeking new residents, the settlers chose this site because they were attracted by the region's beauty. They hope that Michal-through its domestic use of rainwater, buildings faced with recycled materials, and south-facing structures-will serve as a model for ecological living in Israel. Despite the green engineering of its buildings, opponents fear that the settlement will damage the local ecology. B e c a u s e the Gilboa, unlike most irises, cannot self-pollinate, the settlement will reduce crucial genetic diversity by isolating clusters of irises to the north and south, worries plant ecologist Yuval Sapir of Indiana University, Bloomington. In a letter leaked to the Israeli paper Ha'aretz last year, Nature and Parks Authority board science committee chair Tamar Dayan attacked the plans, saying that the light, pets, gardens, and utilities from the settlement could affect an area on the mountain 10 times larger than its footprint of homes. For example, the flower's pollinating insects might be forced to compete with other insects introduced by imported gardens and agriculture, says Michael Avishai, scientific director of the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens. Michal planner Chaim Shenhar replies that residents plan to protect the irises in their midst and that the settlement's footprint was even modified to avoid affecting areas of higher density. He also says that homeowners plan to cultivate local plants. Scientists are also unhappy with the arrangement to set aside land along the slopes of the mountain. They note that few irises grow in the protected areas. From an ecological perspective, says Tel Aviv University ecologist Yoram Yom-Tov, "[t]he top of the Gilboa is more important than the slopes." The leaked Dayan document asserted that the deal, approved by the authority's politically appointed board, was made "without scientif ic or professional backing." In response, the authority says it followed its normal practice on consultations. The proliferation of the irises along the streets and lawns of the nearby kibbutz Ma'ale Gilboa shows that humans and flowers can co-exist, says Dani Kamari, deputy head of the Bet She'an regional council, which welcomes the new settlement as a way to make existing education, health care, and garbage services more cost-efficient. "Some scientist sitting in Tel Aviv doesn't understand how people here live," he adds. Kamari acknowledges that the kibbutz, an Orthodox community, and two other nearby towns could use additional residents. But he notes that the Michal group prefers to live in its own, secular town. Opponents are asking prominent lawmakers to pressure the planning council, which is now reviewing comments before making a final decision. Likud legislator Omri Sharon, son of the prime minister, has already signaled his support. But in a country where development is a national priority, opponents of Michal fear the traffic on Mount Gilboa will soon be getting worse-and that the Gilboa iris will pay the price. -ELI KINTISCH Flower power. Environmentalists want Israeli government to pay more heed to the Gilboa iris. Published by AAAS http://www.sciencemag.org/ CREDITS: K. BUCKHEIT/SCIENCE (MAP);YUVAL SAPIR (PHOTO) _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php