אבי בר-מסדה - הפקולטה למדעי הטבע

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Our lab conducts research in Landscape Ecology, the field that aims to understand the relationships between spatial patterns and ecological phenomena. Our work is equally divided between theoretical questions—such as the mechanisms driving spatial biodiversity patterns—and applied questions, such as how anthropogenic activities like urban development and altered fire regimes affect neighboring ecosystems. To answer these questions, we utilize diverse research tools, including GIS and remote sensing, data analysis, and ecological modelling.

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Regional prioritization of wildlife crossing structure locations to mitigate dispersal barriers by roads, Denneboom, D., Shwartz, A. & Bar-Massada, A., Jun 2026, In: Journal for Nature Conservation. 91, 127259.
Intratentacular budding and zooid-dynamics in two coral genera, Yuval, M., Peleg, A., Ceyhan, E., Tchernov, D., Loya, Y., Bar-Massada, A. & Treibitz, T., Dec 2025, In: Ecological Informatics. 90, 103293.
Scalogram habitat measures as predictors of bird abundance, Silveira, E., Anand, A., Pidgeon, A. M., Wood, E., Buron, R. E., Bar-Massada, A., Farwell, L., Zuckerberg, B. & Radeloff, V. C., 1 Sep 2025, In: Ecography. 2025, 9, e07389.
Can the National Fire-Danger Rating System (NFDRS)-1978 of the United States be effective in other regions? Israel as a case study, Guk, E., Bar-Massada, A. & Levin, N., 8 Aug 2025, In: International Journal of Wildland Fire. 34, 8, WF25088.
Landcover Modulates the Responses of Bird Communities to a Steep Geoclimatic Gradient, Haviv, E., Izhaki, I. & Bar-Massada, A., Jul 2025, In: Journal of Biogeography. 52, 7, e15146.
Reptile assemblages in eastern Mediterranean maquis are shaped by climate, land management, habitat structure and a novel threat of egret predation, Talbi, R., Gavish, Y., Izhaki, I. & Bar-Massada, A., May 2025, In: Biological Conservation. 305, 111072.
Commercial honey bee keeping compromises wild bee conservation in Mediterranean nature reserves, Tourbez, C., Fiordaliso, W., Bar-Massada, A., Dolev, A., Michez, D. & Dorchin, A., Feb 2025, In: Apidologie. 56, 1, 11.
Globe-LFMC 2.0, an enhanced and updated dataset for live fuel moisture content research, Yebra, M., Scortechini, G., Adeline, K., Aktepe, N., Almoustafa, T., Bar-Massada, A., Beget, M. E., Boer, M., Bradstock, R., Brown, T., Castro, F. X., Chen, R., Chuvieco, E., Danson, M., Değirmenci, C. Ü., Delgado-Dávila, R., Dennison, P., Di Bella, C., Domenech, O. & Féret, J. B. & 31 others, Forsyth, G., Gabriel, E., Gagkas, Z., Gharbi, F., Granda, E., Griebel, A., He, B., Jolly, M., Kotzur, I., Kraaij, T., Kristina, A., Kütküt, P., Limousin, J. M., Martín, M. P., Monteiro, A. T., Morais, M., Moreira, B., Mouillot, F., Msweli, S., Nolan, R. H., Pellizzaro, G., Qi, Y., Quan, X., Resco de Dios, V., Roberts, D., Tavşanoğlu, Ç., Taylor, A. F. S., Taylor, J., Tüfekcioğlu, İ., Ventura, A. & Younes Cardenas, N., Dec 2024, In: Scientific Data. 11, 1, 332.
Utilizing treated wastewater for pasture irrigation: Effects on productivity, plant community structure and soil properties, Lavi, R., Bar-Massada, A. & Dovrat, G., Jun 2024, In: Grass and Forage Science. 79, 2, p. 228-238 11 p.
Mammal responses to global changes in human activity vary by trophic group and landscape, Burton, A. C., Beirne, C., Gaynor, K. M., Sun, C., Granados, A., Allen, M. L., Alston, J. M., Alvarenga, G. C., Calderón, F. S. Á., Amir, Z., Anhalt-Depies, C., Appel, C., Arroyo-Arce, S., Balme, G., Bar-Massada, A., Barcelos, D., Barr, E., Barthelmess, E. L., Baruzzi, C. & Basak, S. M. & 201 others, Beenaerts, N., Belmaker, J., Belova, O., Bezarević, B., Bird, T., Bogan, D. A., Bogdanović, N., Boyce, A., Boyce, M., Brandt, L. R., Brodie, J. F., Brooke, J., Bubnicki, J. W., Cagnacci, F., Carr, B. S., Carvalho, J., Casaer, J., Černe, R., Chen, R., Chow, E., Churski, M., Cincotta, C., Ćirović, D., Coates, T. D., Compton, J., Coon, C., Cove, M. V., Crupi, A. P., Farra, S. D., Darracq, A. K., Davis, M., Dawe, K., De Waele, V., Descalzo, E., Diserens, T. A., Drimaj, J., Duľa, M., Ellis-Felege, S., Ellison, C., Ertürk, A., Fantle-Lepczyk, J., Favreau, J., Fennell, M., Ferreras, P., Ferretti, F., Fiderer, C., Finnegan, L., Fisher, J. T., Fisher-Reid, M. C., Flaherty, E. A., Fležar, U., Flousek, J., Foca, J. M., Ford, A., Franzetti, B., Frey, S., Fritts, S., Frýbová, Š., Furnas, B., Gerber, B., Geyle, H. M., Giménez, D. G., Giordano, A. J., Gomercic, T., Gompper, M. E., Gräbin, D. M., Gray, M., Green, A., Hagen, R., Hagen, R., Hammerich, S., Hanekom, C., Hansen, C., Hasstedt, S., Hebblewhite, M., Heurich, M., Hofmeester, T. R., Hubbard, T., Jachowski, D., Jansen, P. A., Jaspers, K. J., Jensen, A., Jordan, M., Kaizer, M. C., Kelly, M. J., Kohl, M. T., Kramer-Schadt, S., Krofel, M., Krug, A., Kuhn, K. M., Kuijper, D. P. J., Kuprewicz, E. K., Kusak, J., Kutal, M., Lafferty, D. J. R., LaRose, S., Lashley, M., Lathrop, R., Lee, T. E., Lepczyk, C., Lesmeister, D. B., Licoppe, A., Linnell, M., Loch, J., Long, R., Lonsinger, R. C., Louvrier, J., Luskin, M. S., MacKay, P., Maher, S., Manet, B., Mann, G. K. H., Marshall, A. J., Mason, D., McDonald, Z., McKay, T., McShea, W. J., Mechler, M., Miaud, C., Millspaugh, J. J., Monteza-Moreno, C. M., Moreira-Arce, D., Mullen, K., Nagy, C., Naidoo, R., Namir, I., Nelson, C., O’Neill, B., O’Mara, M. T., Oberosler, V., Osorio, C., Ossi, F., Palencia, P., Pearson, K., Pedrotti, L., Pekins, C. E., Pendergast, M., Pinho, F. F., Plhal, R., Pocasangre-Orellana, X., Price, M., Procko, M., Proctor, M. D., Ramalho, E. E., Ranc, N., Reljic, S., Remine, K., Rentz, M., Revord, R., Reyna-Hurtado, R., Risch, D., Ritchie, E. G., Romero, A., Rota, C., Rovero, F., Rowe, H., Rutz, C., Salvatori, M., Sandow, D., Schalk, C. M., Scherger, J., Schipper, J., Scognamillo, D. G., Şekercioğlu, Ç. H., Semenzato, P., Sevin, J., Shamon, H., Shier, C., Silva-Rodríguez, E. A., Sindicic, M., Smyth, L. K., Soyumert, A., Sprague, T., St. Clair, C. C., Stenglein, J., Stephens, P. A., Stępniak, K. M., Stevens, M., Stevenson, C., Ternyik, B., Thomson, I., Torres, R. T., Tremblay, J., Urrutia, T., Vacher, J. P., Visscher, D., Webb, S. L., Weber, J., Weiss, K. C. B., Whipple, L. S., Whittier, C. A., Whittington, J., Wierzbowska, I., Wikelski, M., Williamson, J., Wilmers, C. C., Windle, T., Wittmer, H. U., Zharikov, Y., Zorn, A. & Kays, R., May 2024, In: Nature Ecology and Evolution. 8, 5, p. 924-935 12 p.
Wildlife mortality risk posed by high and low traffic roads, Denneboom, D., Bar-Massada, A. & Shwartz, A., Apr 2024, In: Conservation Biology. 38, 2, e14159.
A European-scale analysis reveals the complex roles of anthropogenic and climatic factors in driving the initiation of large wildfires, Ochoa, C., Bar-Massada, A. & Chuvieco, E., 20 Mar 2024, In: Science of the Total Environment. 917, 170443.
Examining the Transferability of Remote-Sensing-Based Models of Live Fuel Moisture Content for Predicting Wildfire Characteristics, Guk, E., Bar-Massada, A., Yebra, M., Scortechini, G. & Levin, N., 2024, In: IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing. 17, p. 14762-14776 15 p.
Assessment of storm impact on coral reef structural complexity, Yuval, M., Pearl, N., Tchernov, D., Martinez, S., Loya, Y., Bar-Massada, A. & Treibitz, T., 15 Sep 2023, In: Science of the Total Environment. 891, 164493.
The global wildland–urban interface, Schug, F., Bar-Massada, A., Carlson, A. R., Cox, H., Hawbaker, T. J., Helmers, D., Hostert, P., Kaim, D., Kasraee, N. K., Martinuzzi, S., Mockrin, M. H., Pfoch, K. A. & Radeloff, V. C., 7 Sep 2023, In: Nature. 621, 7977, p. 94-99 6 p.
The wildland – urban interface in Europe: Spatial patterns and associations with socioeconomic and demographic variables, Bar-Massada, A., Alcasena, F., Schug, F. & Radeloff, V. C., Jul 2023, In: Landscape and Urban Planning. 235, 104759.
Corrigendum to “Factors affecting usage of crossing structures by wildlife – a systematic review and meta-analysis” [Sci. Total Environ., 777, 146061, February 2021. DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146061s], Denneboom, D., Bar-Massada, A. & Shwartz, A., 20 Jun 2023, In: Science of the Total Environment. 878, 163131.
When a pest-control species becomes a pest: A shift in the foraging habitat of cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) and the threat to grazed natural ecosystems, Talbi, R., Gavish, Y., Izhaki, I. & Bar-Massada, A., Jun 2023, In: Biological Conservation. 282, 110067.
Towards an Integrated Approach to Wildfire Risk Assessment: When, Where, What and How May the Landscapes Burn, Chuvieco, E., Yebra, M., Martino, S., Thonicke, K., Gómez-Giménez, M., San-Miguel, J., Oom, D., Velea, R., Mouillot, F., Molina, J. R., Miranda, A. I., Lopes, D., Salis, M., Bugaric, M., Sofiev, M., Kadantsev, E., Gitas, I. Z., Stavrakoudis, D., Eftychidis, G. & Bar-Massada, A. & 7 others, Neidermeier, A., Pampanoni, V., Pettinari, M. L., Arrogante-Funes, F., Ochoa, C., Moreira, B. & Viegas, D., May 2023, In: Fire. 6, 5, 215.
Constructing a Comprehensive National Wildfire Database from Incomplete Sources: Israel as a Case Study, Guk, E., Bar-Massada, A. & Levin, N., Apr 2023, In: Fire. 6, 4, 131.
A geographically flexible approach for mapping the Wildland-Urban Interface integrating fire activity data, Tikotzki, I., Bar-Massada, A. & Levin, N., 2023, In: Frontiers in Environmental Science. 11, 1231490.
Effects of bird species-level environmental preference on landscape-level richness-heterogeneity relationships, Gavish, Y., Wood, E. M., Martinuzzi, S., Pidgeon, A. M. & Bar-Massada, A., Nov 2021, In: Basic and Applied Ecology. 56, p. 379-391 13 p.
A comparative analysis of two major approaches for mapping the wildland-urban interface: A case study in California, Bar-Massada, A., Jul 2021, In: Land. 10, 7, 679.
Poleward non-breeding migration of a breeding population: challenging the traditional perspective of avian migration, Friedemann, G., Leshem, Y., McClain, K. M., Bohrer, G., Bar-Massada, A. & Izhaki, I., 1 Jun 2020, In: Journal of Avian Biology. 51, 6, e02362.
Utilizing Vegetation and Environmental New Micro Spacecraft (VENμS) Data to Estimate Live Fuel Moisture Content in Israel's Mediterranean Ecosystems, Bar-Massada, A. & Sviri, A., 2020, In: IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing. 13, p. 3204-3212 9 p., 9115287.
Species with moderate intraspecific trait variability are locally abundant within an environmentally heterogeneous subtropical forest, Shen, G., Yan, E. R., Bar-Massada, A., Zhang, J., Liu, H., Wang, X. & Xu, M., 1 Jul 2019, In: Oecologia. 190, 3, p. 629-637 9 p.
Soil Type Impacts Macrohabitat Selection and Spatiotemporal Activity Patterns of Testudo graeca in an Eastern Mediterranean Ecosystem, Bernheim, M., Shanas, U. & Bar-Massada, A., 1 Jun 2019, In: Copeia. 107, 2, p. 332-340 9 p.
A mathematical partitioning of the effects of habitat loss and habitat degradation on species abundance, Bar-Massada, A., Ives, A. R. & Butsic, V., 15 Jan 2019, In: Landscape Ecology. 34, 1, p. 9-15 7 p.
ההרכב הגנטי של אורן ירושלים טבעי בכרמל כבסיס לתוכנית שימור: [מתוך המדור: חזית המחקר], ⁨מילבסקי, ר.⁩, ⁨נאמן, ג.⁩, ⁨בר-מסדה, א.⁩ & ⁨בן שלמה, ר.⁩, 2019, In: אקולוגיה וסביבה. 10, 1, p. 38-45 8 p.
Spatio-temporal activity patterns of mammals in an agro-ecological mosaic with seasonal recreation activities, Shamoon, H., Cain, S., Shanas, U., Bar-Massada, A., Malihi, Y. & Shapira, I., 1 Jun 2018, In: European Journal of Wildlife Research. 64, 3, 35.
Using exclusion rate to unify niche and neutral perspectives on coexistence, Carmel, Y., Suprunenko, Y. F., Kunin, W. E., Kent, R., Belmaker, J., Bar-Massada, A. & Cornell, S. J., Oct 2017, In: Oikos. 126, 10, p. 1451-1458 8 p.
Nest-site characteristics, breeding success and competitive interactions between two recently sympatric apex predators, Friedemann, G., Leshem, Y., Kerem, L., Bar-Massada, A. & Izhaki, I., Oct 2017, In: Ibis. 159, 4, p. 812-827 16 p.
Regeneration dynamics of woody vegetation in a Mediterranean landscape under different disturbance-based management treatments, Bashan, D. & Bar-Massada, A., 1 Jan 2017, In: Applied Vegetation Science. 20, 1, p. 106-114 9 p.
Factors related to building loss due to wildfires in the conterminous United States, Alexandre, P. M., Stewart, S. I., Keuler, N. S., Clayton, M. K., Mockrin, M. H., Bar-Massada, A., Syphard, A. D. & Radeloff, V. C., 1 Oct 2016, In: Ecological Applications. 26, 7, p. 2323-2338 16 p.
Setting priorities for private land conservation in fire-prone landscapes: Are fire risk reduction and biodiversity conservation competing or compatible objectives?, Syphard, A. D., Butsic, V., Bar-Massada, A., Keeley, J. E., Tracey, J. A. & Fisher, R. N., 2016, In: Ecology and Society. 21, 3, 2.
Immigration rates and species niche characteristics affect the relationship between species richness and habitat heterogeneity in modeled meta-communities, Bar-Massada, A., 2015, In: PeerJ. 2015, 3, e832.
Bird and mammal species composition in distinct geographic regions and their relationships with environmental factors across multiple spatial scales, Kent, R., Bar-Massada, A. & Carmel, Y., May 2014, In: Ecology and Evolution. 4, 10, p. 1963-1971 9 p.
Biotic and abiotic effects of human settlements in the wildland-urban interface, Bar-Massada, A., Radeloff, V. C. & Stewart, S. I., May 2014, In: BioScience. 64, 5, p. 429-437 9 p.
Environmental heterogeneity affects the location of modelled communities along the niche-neutrality continuum, Bar-Massada, A., Kent, R. & Carmel, Y., 26 Mar 2014, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 281, 1783, 20133249.
Using structure locations as a basis for mapping the wildland urban interface, Bar-Massada, A., Stewart, S. I., Hammer, R. B., Mockrin, M. H. & Radeloff, V. C., 15 Oct 2013, In: Journal of Environmental Management. 128, p. 540-547 8 p.
Land Use Planning and Wildfire: Development Policies Influence Future Probability of Housing Loss, Syphard, A. D., Bar Massada, A., Butsic, V. & Keeley, J. E., 14 Aug 2013, In: PLOS ONE. 8, 8, e71708.
Wildfire ignition-distribution modelling: A comparative study in the Huron-Manistee National Forest, Michigan, USA, Bar Massada, A., Syphard, A. D., Stewart, S. I. & Radeloff, V. C., 2013, In: International Journal of Wildland Fire. 22, 2, p. 174-183 10 p.
Housing arrangement and location determine the likelihood of housing loss due to wildfire, Syphard, A. D., Keeley, J. E., Massada, A. B., Brennan, T. J. & Radeloff, V. C., 28 Mar 2012, In: PLOS ONE. 7, 3, e33954.
Combining satellite-based fire observations and ground-based lightning detections to identify lightning fires across the conterminous USA, Bar-Massada, A., Hawbaker, T. J., Stewart, S. I. & Radeloff, V. C., 2012, In: IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing. 5, 5, p. 1438-1447 10 p., 6184334.
Differential effects of goat browsing on herbaceous plant community in a two-phase mosaic, Gabay, O., Perevolotsky, A., Bar Massada, A., Carmel, Y. & Shachak, M., Oct 2011, In: Plant Ecology. 212, 10, p. 1643-1653 11 p.
Multiscale analyses of mammal species composition - environment relationship in the contiguous USA, Kent, R., Bar-Massada, A. & Carmel, Y., 27 Sep 2011, In: PLOS ONE. 6, 9, e25440.
Effects of ignition location models on the burn patterns of simulated wildfires, Bar Massada, A., Syphard, A. D., Hawbaker, T. J., Stewart, S. I. & Radeloff, V. C., May 2011, In: Environmental Modelling and Software. 26, 5, p. 583-592 10 p.
Wildfire risk in the wildland-urban interface: A simulation study in northwestern Wisconsin, Bar Massada, A., Radeloff, V. C., Stewart, S. I. & Hawbaker, T. J., 10 Oct 2009, In: Forest Ecology and Management. 258, 9, p. 1990-1999 10 p.
The effects of disturbance based management on the dynamics of Mediterranean vegetation: A hierarchical and spatially explicit modeling approach, Bar Massada, A., Carmel, Y., Koniak, G. & Noy-Meir, I., 10 Oct 2009, In: Ecological Modelling. 220, 19, p. 2525-2535 11 p.
Quantifying the effect of grazing and shrub-clearing on small scale spatial pattern of vegetation, Bar Massada, A., Gabay, O., Perevolotsky, A. & Carmel, Y., Mar 2008, In: Landscape Ecology. 23, 3, p. 327-339 13 p.

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