Former students

Ela started her work in the laboratory as a research engineer in 2009. She was in charge of establishing the LTER in Kedoshim forest. After falling in love with the forest, the people and the endless data collected through many surveys, Ela continued to PhD studies. Her research focused on the interaction between forest overstory and understory vegetation. She investigated the effect of tree thinning treatments of mature Pine forest on the availability and spatial distribution of resources in the understory and, consequently, on the structure and dynamics of the understory plant community.

Today Ela is a manager of a unique educational, agricultural and environmental school in the district of Mate Yehuda. 

Mor joined the group as a research assistant (with a bachelor's degree) and became addicted to working in the forests in Israel. The natural continuation was a master's degree on: Fuel brake treatments and their effect on vegetation dynamics and forest fire behavior.

Upon completing his master's degree, Mor managed the laboratory as a research engineer and today works at KKL-JNF and is in charge of implementing a forestry interface for fire protection.

Ken lives up north in kibbutz Hukuk. His M.Sc research focused on Tetraclinis articulata, an alien tree planted in Israel four decades ago but only now started propagating at a notable high rate. In his research Ken studied the biological and ecological factors that have turned this alien tree into a potentially invasive species. Today Ken works in KKL-JNF northern district forestry department.

Yotam started his career in the laboratory as a research assistant (during his bachelor's degree), fell in love with the forest, the people and the atmosphere.

His work dealt with the effects of environmental conditions on the organization of LAI in P. halepensis forests in Israel.

Upon completion of his degree, Yotam began working at KKL-JNF as a forest engineer.

Uri was a Master student between the years 2016-2018. His research focused on the effect of forest thinning on leaf area distribution in water limited pines forests. Nowadays, Uri is a private arboriculture consultant, working with municipalities, Institutes and the KKL-JNF.

After many years of working as an agronomist in the field of horticulture Einat decided to return to the academy for a second M.Sc. She investigated the ecophysiology of P. halepensis, focusing on the effects of climate conditions and water availability in the soil on the temperature of P. halepensis needles. Now she is working at the DESHE Institute (Open Landscape Institute) as a forest survey coordinator where the forest trees continue to accompany me.

Naomi's PhD researched Investigated the hybridization of Pinus brutia × P. halepensis in Israel from three aspects:

genetic- marker development, frequency - field surveys and ecophysiology - green house experiments.

Today Naomi works at the southern forestry department in KKL-JNF. 

Roni was a master student in our lab between the years 2018-2020. Her research focuses on the effect of forest thinning treatments on the organization of leaf area and leaf traits of the vegetation growing under the trees in planted pine. Now Roni works for KKL-JNF forest department.

Maya Millet M.Sc. research aims was to examine fuel characteristics materials in Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis) forests in Israel and their effect on fire risk according to a fire prediction model. The study was conducted in 2018-2020 in a long-term ecological research (LTER) site of Aleppo Pine Forest in Yaar Hakdoshim. Today Maya is working as forest engineer in the northern Negev KKL-JNF.

Levi moved from the U.S. to Israel in 2014. He joined the lab for his Master’s degree after completing undergraduate studies at the Hebrew University in Rehovot. His research focused on the effects of livestock grazing on water availability and tree function in pine forests. He is currently pursuing a career in natural resource management in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Omri did his PhD in our lab and in his work he assessed the impact of climate and cattle grazing on dry oak woodlands, by evaluating the functioning of Q. calliprinos woodlands and trees along aridity and grazing intensity gradients. He also examined grazing as a management tool for regulating water consumption and mitigating drought stress in Q. calliprinos trees, in order to support the natural woodlands on the desert edge and to preserve their unique biodiversity, under the threat of climate change. Today Omri is a Mimshak Fellow at the Economy and Infrastructure department in the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. He is assigned as a scientific advisor to the Senior Deputy Director General.

Denis' masters researched examined the organization of leaf area cover in pine forests along the rainfall gradient in Israel. He focused on comparing leaf traits among forest trees and shrubs. Today Denis works at KKL-JNF. 

Päivi Väänänen is a Finnish forest ecologist, who started working in Yagil's lab as a research engineer in 2009. In 2011 she started her PhD, which focused on the drought resistance of native woodland species (Phillyrea latifolia, Pistacia lentiscus & Quercus calliprinos) and the ecophysiological mechanisms behind it. Nowadays she works as a researcher in Natural Resources Institute Finland. Her research interests include the carbon balance and regeneration of peatland forests, but occasionally she still dabbles in drought resistance related issues.

Nitai was always fascinated with forests and the processes that take place in them. After working for two years in the Yatir Forest research project it was only natural that he would continue his own research on natural regeneration of P. halepensis forest under semi-arid conditions.

The forestry research shaped the rest of his life and today he is the forester of Ben-Shemen  Forest in KKL-JNF.

Daphna Glazer, was a M.Sc student in the lab from 2010-2013. Daphna's research focused on Seed predation as a controlling factor of Pinus halepensis coloniazation in natural Mediterranean habitats. During the research, Daphna used spatial tools and GIS and today, she is an expert in GIS and mapping for natural resources and precision agriculture.

Nurit Hibsher was a master student from 2007-2010, she research how silvicultural  treatments ,post fire ,  affect plant regeneration, in Biria Foerst. 
Today she serves as head of forest department, of the central region in KKL-JNF

Ailon worked on his M.Sc degree during 2009-2012 in Kdoshim LTER, and studied the various effects of tree thinning in mature pine forest. During the last few years, he worked in various postions in Israel's Forest Authority (KKL-JNF). Ailon likes to spend time in nature, and still wonders about trees and their relations with humans.

Noa was an MSc student in the lab. Her research focused on the effect of goat grazing and pine seedling removal on the vegetation, in the post-fire area of the Carmel, in three aspects: The structure and composition of the woody vegetation; demographics and development of Aleppo pine seedlings and their ecophysiology as well as that of Cistus, with respect to the water potential in leaf and stomatal conductance. The study also examined the intake of pine seedlings consumption in a goat’s grazing diet and its influence on the goat’s performance.