In thinking about the thick forests that dot the hills around Jerusalem or traversing the rolling green hills of Galilee, we tend to envision the success story of an environmentally conscious effort. This involves dark green trees providing shade over the ground, pine needles covering the soil, and imagining a blossoming landscape brought back from its past neglect.

A recent study reveals that the type of shrubs and plants growing beneath pine trees significantly impacts bird biodiversity and community composition in Mediterranean forests.…

During the mid-20th century, large areas of Israel were transformed by one of the country's most ambitious reforestation programmes. Millions of pine trees were planted to…