The Yatir Forest, a planted forest since 1964, was established by the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (JNF-KKL) on state land. It occupies a former semi-arid shrubland area on the southern slopes of the Judean Hills. The forest is located 25 kilometers south of Beer-Sheva, 32 kilometers west of the Dead Sea, and 70 kilometers east of the Mediterranean Sea. The terrain features shallow rendzina soil over limestone, with a moderate southwest slope and a valley over 1 kilometer to the west. The ecosystem is primarily composed of Aleppo pine, with a canopy height of approximately 12 m'' and a limited understory of annuals. Mean annual precipitation is 290 mm, concentrated between October and April, resulting in a dry period of over six months. A 1-hectare research site was established in 2000, featuring a 19-meter flux tower, and a suite of auxiliary measurements including sap flow, dendrometers, soil respiration chembers, a ceilometer, and Solar-Induced Fluorescence (SIF). An intensive irrigation manipulation experimental plot is located at the southern part of the research site (outside the main fluxes fetch). The forest is fire-protected by local authorities and experiences seasonal grazing by sheep and goats in late springs
