Gal Ya'acobi
PhD Student

Ben-Gurion University
Dept. of Life Sciences
POB 653
Be’er Sheva 84105, Israel
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+972-8-6479230
+972-8-6479230
+972-8-6472648
yaacobig@bgu.ac.il  

Research Interests

  My general interests are in ecology, evolution and conservation. In particular, I am interested in patterns of biodiversity at multiple levels (species and genetic), and all of the processes that create these patterns, including human-induced landscape alterations.  

The aim of my PhD study is to investigate the interaction between landscape scale processes and the genetic structure of populations. In my research I examine the effects of spatial and temporal heterogeneity across varying scales on the genetic profile of ground beetle populations. The research is taken place in the Southern Judean Lowland region in Israel , a highly diverse semi-arid zone which represents steep environmental gradients. The model organisms are detrivorous species from the Tenebrionid family and predators from the Carbid family.

Key words:
Landscape ecology, Molecular ecology, population genetics, phylogeography, environmental heterogeneity, GIS, biodiversity, beetles.

Curriculum Vitae

  Date of Birth: 29.5.1974
Place of Birth: Rehovot
Nationality: Israeli
Marital status:  Married + 2
Military Service: 1992-1997

 

1998-2001: BSc in Biology and in Geography, Bar – Ilan University , Israel .
2002- 2004: MSc in Ecology at the life sciences dept. Ben-Gurion University , Israel .
Thesis: The effect of patchiness and heterogenic landscape on species diversity and community structure in the southern Judea lowland region.
[pdf]
2005- Present:  PhD in Ecology at the life science dept. Ben-Gurion University , Israel .

Awards Received

1999: Excellence in natural sciences studies, Bar-Ilan University .
2005: IALC Wayne Owens peace fellowship.

Presentations at Scientific Meetings

  1. Yaacobi G. and Kaufman, D. (2007). Scale dependent responses of beetle genetic and phenotypic diversity to temporal variability. Evolutionary changes in humman altered environments. UCLA, Los-Angeles. U.S.A. [pdf]
  2. Yaacobi G., Ziv, Y. and Rosenzweig, M. L. (2006).Effects of interactive scale-dependent variables on beetle diversity patterns in a semi-arid agricultural landscape. The role of invertebrates in ecosystem function and services. Sde-Boker , Israel .
  3. Yaacobi G., Ziv, Y. and Rosenzweig, M. L. (2006). Fragmentation may not matter to species diversity (In Hebrew). Israel Society of Zoology. Rehovot , Israel.
  4. Yaacobi, G., Ziv, Y. and Rosenzweig, M. L. (2005). The effect of patchiness and landscape heterogeneity on beetle species diversity in a semi-arid agricultural region. Multifunctionality of Landscapes. Giessen , Germany.
  5. Yaacobi, G. (2004). The effect of landscape patchiness and heterogeneity on beetle diversity in the south Judea lowland (In Hebrew). Israel Society of Zoology.  Haifa , Israel.
  6. Yaacobi, G., Ziv, Y. and Rosenzweig, M. L. (2004). The effect of patchiness and heterogenic landscape on species diversity in the southern Judea lowland region, Israel . Ecological Society of America . Portland , USA. [pdf]

Links

 

Publications

  1. Yaacobi, G., Ziv, Y. and Rosenzweig, M. L. (2007) Effects of interactive scale-dependent variables on beetle diversity patterns in a semi-arid agricultural landscape. Landscape Ecology 22:687-703.  [pdf]
  2. Yaacobi, G., Ziv, Y. and Rosenzweig, M. L. (2007) Habitat fragmentation may not matter to species diversity. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 274:2409-2412.  [pdf]

   * Also see: The whole is the sum of parts. Editor choice, Science 317:1011.  [pdf]