Israel

Israel borders the Mediterranean Sea in the Middle East. Its terrain includes the Negev Desert, the Dead Sea, low coastal plains, and central mountains. Most of the country is used for human activities, in its majority by rainfed agriculture. Israel has high biodiversity rarity of terrestrial land vertebrates at a global scale. When analysed as single taxons, the rarity of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles is also high. The rarity of marine fish and mammals is also high. Challenges to biodiversity include limited natural freshwater; desertification; air pollution; and groundwater pollution.