Bedouin

An Arabic word meaning ‘desert dweller’, used to designate the primarily nomadic Arab peoples of the Middle East, where they form about 10% of the population. They are of the same Semitic stock as their sedentary neighbours (the fellahin; see Arabs) and share with them a devout belief in Islam and a distrust of any but their own local traditions and way of life. Camel and sheep breeding provide their main livelihood. Land is divided into recognised tribal orbits within which are roving family groups. The tribe is a community of equals headed by a sheikh. Among the Bedouin, hospitality and simple, immediate justice are first rules of conduct. Although Bedouin have traditionally avoided agricultural work, settlement policies of the various Middle Eastern states in the 20th century forced many of them into a sedentary life. http://reference.allrefer.com/encyclopedia/B/Bedouin.html

Any tribe or member of a tribe of Arab nomads living in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, Syria, or North Africa.

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Black Goat Law

  

Imposed by the government in 1950, the ‘Black Goat Law’ caused a gradual reduction in the number of goats and in grazing pressure. A further reduction occurred in the 1980s, for socio-economic reasons. In some forest areas, grazing pressure even decreased much below the desirable level for effective elimination of dry herbaceous vegetation and regenerating evergreen shrubs and trees. This changeover from goat to cattle grazing encouraged the expansion and invasion of thorny shrubs formerly eaten by goats (Sarcopoterium spinosa, Calycotome villosa) into the forest’s lower growth and open patches, thus resulting in dangerous levels of accumulated forest fuels.

 

At present, beef cattle occupy most of the grazed forestland, though a small percentage of sheep and goats graze as well. The JNF Forest Department encourages controlled grazing in planted and native forests. The issuance of licenses according to herd size and carrying capacity of the grazing area restricts grazing to specific areas, timeframes and pressures. During the last two decades, silvo-pastoral management of large, planted forests has developed (Etienne 2000; Tsiouvaras 2000). The Forest Department carries out infrastructure development (fencing, watering and tending compounds) for herd owners in or nearby the forest. This aims at avoiding any legal tenure of the herd owners on the forestland, which is national property. These activities are financed by the KKL, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Israel Lands Administration through a joint administrative body known as the ‘Pasture Authority’.

 ‘Integrated Forest Fire Management in Israel: A 15 Year Review, 1987-2002’