The state of Israel is afforesting the Negev desert, which accounts for 60% of the country's land mass but remains sparsely populated. The Yatir Forest is located on the southern slopes of Mount Hebron, on the edge of the Negev Desert. Covering an area of 30,000 dunams (30 square kilometers), it is the largest planted forest in Israel. It is named after the ancient Levite city within its territory, Yatir, as written in the Torah The Yatir forest is a tower site of NASAs research project FLUXNET.