vegetation map of namibia

Biodiversity and Conservation 7: 513-530. The Namibian Savanna Woodland ecoregion covers the Great Escarpment that delimits the interior of southern Africa from the Kaokoveld and Namib Deserts. Vegetation Survey of Namibia. Other large mammal species found within the ecoregion are kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros LR), springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis LR), gemsbok (Oryx gazella LR), Damara dik-diks (Madoqua kirkii), and black-faced impala (Aepyceros melampus petersi VU). If these areas can be effectively managed through collaboration with local communities, they may solve the conservation crisis in the area. The outline map of Namibia reresents mainland Namibia, a Southern African nation. Numbers show locations of Figs. Trees such as Acacia giraffe, A. karroo, Tamarix usneoides, Euclea pseudebenus, and Rhus lancea are found along the riverbeds throughout the ecoregion. In an attempt to control poaching, these rhinos are being de-horned (Berger and Cullingham 1994) and have also been previously translocated to the Etosha Pan National Park (Hofmeyer et al. Although arable land accounts for only 1% of Namibia, nearly half of the population is employed in agriculture.[3]. [18] The longest river in Namibia is the Fish River with a length of 650 km (400 mi). Namibia has more than 300 days of sunshine per year. total: Washington, DC 20037. 1% (2018) Mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east. territorial sea: As summer winds are forced over the Escarpment, moisture is extracted as precipitation. Endemism in Namibia: patterns, process and predictions. Other important rivers are the Swakop, Kuiseb, and Fish Rivers. 2," which originally covered 80,000 km2 and was the largest nature reserve in the world. World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC, USA. The Namib is divided into the Sperrgebiet National Park, the Namib Naukluft Park, the Dorob National Park and the Skeleton Coast National Park. The northern part of the Namib mainly consists of gravel plains whereas the central part is known for it… Biodiversity and Conservation 7: 483-494. Since this map was produced a number of small study areas, mostly game reserves, have been mapped in detail. Minimum elevation: 0 ft. The escarpment that rises from the deserts is narrow, broken and deeply dissected. Thus, the interim status confers a high level of protection until the species can be confidently assessed. The area receives a significantly greater amount of precipitation than the rest of the country, averaging around 400 mm (15.7 in) per year. The vegetation of the Namibian savanna woodland is varied in structure, physiognomy and species distribution. PDF. Another feature of the Kalahari, indeed many parts of Namibia, are inselbergs, isolated mountains that create microclimates and habitat for organisms not adapted to life in the surrounding desert matrix. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, United Kingdom. There are 68 endemic plants in this region (Simmons et al. Location and extent. The first research objective is thus: to map the vegetation types in Namibia using SPOT VGT NDVI data of 15 years. Description Location and General DescriptionThe Namibian savanna woodland (Namaland) ecoregion covers the narrow escarpment belt that lies inland of the Namib and Kaokoveld Deserts and broadens gradually towards the south, where it comprises extensive areas on the plateau south of Windhoek. Another interesting feature found on the map above is the Caprivi Strip, a geographic salient protruding from the country's northeastern corner. While bush encroachment has benefited these species, it leads to a reduction in diversity and is therefore not seen as positive for conservation within the ecoregion. Download Free PDF. Illegal trade in spectacular succulent species is believed to be considerable (Maggs et al. Vegetation Survey of Namibia. 1998). Adobe Illustrator .AI EPS Vector files from our Netmaps database. R.F. The amount of precipita-tion increases from the southwest to the northeast from an annual 0 mm to a maximum of 600 mm. It includes the Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain at 2,038 m. Other mountains such as the Baynes (2,038 m), Erongo (2,319 m), Naukluft (1,974 m), Spitzkoppe (1,759 m) and the Gamsberg (2,347 m) also lie along the escarpment edge. 3.1. This paper. 1994). Albert’s burrowing skink (Sepsina alberti) is an interesting pale green skink with a bright blue tail that is restricted to the northern area of the ecoregion. The Kunene River that runs along the Angola-Namibia border is the only perennial river within the ecoregion. Conservancies are jointly managed for resource conservation by multiple landowners with financial and other benefits shared among them. Giess (1971) compiled a preliminary vegetation map of Namibia, in which, the Brandberg is shown to lie within the Semi-desert and Savanna transitional zone. Struik, Cape Town. In Namibia the Namib reaches up to 150 km inland, but has an average width of 100 km. It lies mostly between latitudes 17° and 29°S (a small area is north of 17°), and longitudes 11° and 26°E. North America Map showing Vegetation, Temperatures, Rainfall, Land Utilisation in 1948 - 1948 map - old map of North America PeonyandThistlePaper 5 out of 5 stars (218) Field Guide to the Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa. This ecoregion is characterized by faunal and floristic elements of both the Namib and Kalahari. Werger, M. J. The worst floods so far[update] occurred in March 2011 and displaced 21,000 people.[24]. In areas where the supply of sand is reduced because of the inability of the sand to cross riverbeds, the winds also scour the land to form large gravel plains. Fairy circles are circular patches of land barren of plants, varying between 2 and 15 metres (7 and 49 ft) in diameter, often encircled by a ring of stimulated growth of grass. Our series of Africa Vegetation maps is created as a map collection that meets the highest quality requirements of graphics professionals, and the flexibility to easily modify the appearance of the map to meet a wide variety of design specifications for any project – print, web, multi-media, and broadcast. 1975. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. At 824,292 km2 (318,261 sq mi),[1] Namibia is the world's thirty-fourth largest country. 4,220 km 2. The Namibian landscape consists generally of five geographical areas, each with characteristic abiotic conditions and vegetation with some variation within and overlap between them: the Central Plateau, the Namib Desert, the Great Escarpment, the Bushveld, and the Kalahari Desert. The Great Escarpment swiftly rises to over 2,000 metres (6,562 ft). Furthermore, its descriptions of Namibian vegetation types are very basic. Fernwood Press, Vlaeberg. The Brandberg Mountain supports 90 of Namibia’s endemic plants and eight plants that are only found there (Maggs et al. arable land: With the presently ongoing ‘Vegetation Survey of Namibia’ project, an attempt is made to provide as much useful information per vegetation type as possible. It represents one of the most significant gaps in habitat protection within Namibia, and it is a top-priority area for urgent biodiversity protection measures (Rebelo 1994, Barnard et al., 1998). Strelitzia 1. At this scale – note the apricot-orange in the south-west of the country: it's the Namib Desert. Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa, Geographic coordinates: They conclude, however, that this effect is on a local scale and should not be extrapolated to the ecoregion as a whole. [6] Located adjacent to the Bushveld in north-central Namibia is one of nature’s most spectacular features: the Etosha pan. After Mongolia, Namibia is the second least densely populated country in the world (2.7 inhabitants per square kilometre (7.0/sq mi)). Biodiversity and Conservation 7: 531-547. Around 50 reptile species are either endemic or near-endemic reptiles in the ecoregion. prolonged periods of drought, Environment - current issues: 1998). It is home to the country's Central Administrative Region, Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport and the country's railhead. 1998. This is a list of the extreme points of Namibia, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location. The Namibian landscape consists generally of five geographical areas, each with characteristic abiotic conditions and vegetation with some variation within and overlap between them: the Central Plateau, the Namib Desert, the Great Escarpment, the Bushveld, and the Kalahari Desert. Typical of the area is Euphorbia guerichiana, a shrub or small tree with conspicuous, shiny, brownish-yellow, papery bark growing to a height of 5 m. Also common are Cyphostemma spp. Pages 93 – 104 in B. J. Huntley, editor. Most of the rain falls as thundershowers in the summer months, from October to March. The only perennial rivers are found on the national borders with South Africa, Angola, Zambia, and the short border with Botswana in the Caprivi. Volk and Leippert (1971) first mentioned the Acacietea as a syntaxonomic class, describing it as vegetation dominated by various Acacia trees and shrubs in central Namibia with outliers in Zimbabwe and Botswana. Nordenstam, B. land: 1998). 1998). 824,292 km² Distribution patterns and status of mammals in South West Africa. Hoffman / Science of the Total Environment 416 (2012) 276–288 277. © 2021 World Wildlife Fund. 1998. Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands. As a result, Namibia's parks are hotter, especially those located in the desert. UNESCO, Paris. Where people do not live near perennial rivers or make use of the storage dams, they are dependent on groundwater. The south of this ecoregion is also poorly protected. Biological Diversity in Namibia. One of the best venues for star gazing is the Gamsberg, Namibia’s largest table mountain, with a 2.5 km long and 800 m wide plateau. The northern area of this ecoregion encompasses the Kaoko Escarpment and is therefore rich in species and endemics. Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, "NACOMA - Namibian Coast Conservation and Management Project", "Namibia's Coastal and Marine Development Potential – Sparks 83 (333): 477 – African Affairs", "Climate change forces us to recognise new normals", "Understanding Weather - not predicting it", "Vast aquifer found in Namibia could last for centuries", "Debilitating floods hit northern and central Namibia", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geography_of_Namibia&oldid=1010389898, Articles containing potentially dated statements from June 2011, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2012, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Northernmost point - unnamed location on the border with. Although game farms are sometimes intensively managed to promote selected game species, using fire and chemical control of woody vegetation, their biodiversity conservation value is perceived to be higher than that of livestock farming (Barnard et al. Hilton-Taylor, C. compiler. The winter (June–August) is generally dry, both rainy seasons occur in summer, the small rainy season between September and November, the big one between February and April. Due to areas of differing rainfalls and soils, there is a variety of plants from the desert and semi desert vegetation to the subtropical species, but most of the country is … The Acacietea. 1998). Our NDVI-profile based maps and the Mayaux et al. At 825,615 km 2 (318,772 sq mi), Namibia is the world's thirty-fourth largest country (after Venezuela). Giess, W. 1971. 1994. As the area behind the coast is a desert, these winds can develop into sand storms with sand deposits in the Atlantic Ocean visible on satellite images. Guide to Southern African Game and Nature Reserves. (Griffin 1998). 1998). To the south, the vegetation becomes more open, is dominated by karoo shrubs and grasses, and is classified as dwarf shrub savanna. Because Namibia is mostly arid, much of the flora is typical African dryland vegetation: scrub brush and succulents, such as euphorbia. Rohde, M.T. The ecoregion is a transition zone between the low-lying desert and the central highland plateau. This plateau lies above and east of the escarpment, between about 1,000 m and 2,000 m. It is stony and flat in places, and it is dramatically mountainous in others. Sullivan, S., and Konstant, T. L. 1997. Most of the endemics are clustered around the Brandberg Mountain and around the Khomas highlands north of Windhoek. 44% (2018), Irrigated land: There is great variation between years, with the driest years having the least predictable rainfall. 1998). Other forms of protection, such as conservancies, private nature reserves and game farms do, however, promote conservation of the area. Strelitzia 1. Most of the avifauna is restricted to the rocky habitats of the ecoregion and is found at elevations of between 600 m and 1,200 m. Five birds are endemic or near-endemic to this ecoregion: including the Karoo chat (Cercomela schlegelii), tractrac chat (Cercomela tractrac), greybacked cisticola (Cisticola subruficapillus), and the herero chat (Namibornis herero). 1,002 km², Land boundaries: The prevailing south west winds then pick up and redeposit the sand in the form of massive dunes in the widespread sand sea, the largest sand dunes in the world. logical Map of Namibia. contiguous zone: 1994. Half man – half plant. Landscape and Vegetation. Other components of the mopane savanna are two species of Sosamothamnus. Objectives of the vegetation survey project: (i) To update and refine the preliminary vegetation map of Namibia (Giess 1971) to a scale of 1:1 000 000. A study by Sullivan and Konstant (1997) carried out in the Kunene region to the north of this ecoregion shows that communal farming has a negative effect on the vegetation through overgrazing, browsing and cutting for firewood. Digital Maps Online. 1974. The Central Plateau is home to the highest point in Namibia at Königstein elevation 2,606 metres (8,550 ft). The Central Plateau is home to the highest point in Namibia at Königstein elevation 2,606 metres (8,550 ft). It is situated at the southern edge of the tropics; the Tropic of Capricorn cuts the country about in half. 1998. READ PAPER. 24 nmi (44.4 km; 27.6 mi) Lovegrove, B. Simmons, R. E., M. Griffin, R. E. Griffin, E. Marais, and H. Kolberg. Extending the Namibian protected areas network to safeguard hotspots of endemism and diversity. The coast is cooled by the Benguela Current (which carries with it the country’s rich and recovering fish stocks) and averages less than 2 inches (50 millimetres) of rainfall annually. [7] The Karoo apparently does not experience drought on a regular basis, so even though the area is technically desert, regular winter rains provide enough moisture to support the region’s interesting plant community. Further inland, oscillating patterns of regional rainfall and global temperature may have isolated species on rocky islands and inselbergs (Simmons et al. Regions of Namibia. Brandberg Mountain is located in former Damaraland, now Erongo, in the northwestern Namib Desert, near the coast, and covers an area of approximately 650 km 2. The outline map of Namibia reresents mainland Namibia, a Southern African nation. The mopane savanna lies to the north of the ecoregion and is characterized by Colophospermum mopane. mean elevation: 1,414 m 1998). Plant species richness, endemism and genetic resources in Namibia. depletion and degradation of water and aquatic resources; desertification; land degradation; loss of biodiversity and biotic resources; wildlife poaching, Environment - international agreements: In some areas, it forms dense woodland, whereas in others it grows as a short-stemmed shrub intermingled with scattered trees. The preliminary vegetation map of Namibia is regarded as relatively accurate as far as the delineation of vegetation types is concerned, but some anomalies have been found. 0% (2018) Prepared by: Amy SpriggsReviewed by: In progress, 1250 24th Street, N.W. 2 was reduced by 72 percent to become the present Etosha Pan National Park (with a size of 22,912 km2). Rebelo, A. G. 1994. 564,748 km2 (218,050 sq mi) and 200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi). 1998). Even isolated communities and those economic activities located far from good surface water sources, such as mining, agriculture, and tourism, can be supplied from groundwater over nearly 80% of the country. grassland, shrubland and woodland). This enormous park allowed for the westward seasonal migration of elephants, lions and other mammals as far as the Atlantic Ocean. total: Lastly, the Namaland escarpment has recently become a popular destination for off-road enthusiasts. Acacia senegal and A. tortilis are also found, mainly in the alluvial sands and silts along ephemeral rivers in the ecoregion. At present the only undisputed vegetation map of Namibia is the map published in 1971 by Giess. Among the larger mammals the ecoregion is well-known for its desert-dwelling populations of elephant (Loxodonta africana, EN) and black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis, CR) (Joubert and Mostert 1975; Hilton-Taylor 2000). Its sand dunes, created by the strong onshore winds, are the highest in the world. 1.2. The IUCN 2000 Red List of threatened species. The proximity of the Skeleton Coast Park and Etosha Park offers considerable benefits to rural communities, making ecotourism and conservancy management an attractive land-use option. The Central Plateau runs from north to south, bordered by the Skeleton Coast to the northwest, the Namib Desert and its coastal plains to the southwest, the Orange River to the south, and the Kalahari Desert to the east. Finally, the Kalahari sandveld stretches southeast from the central plateau, with deep sands overlaying bedrock. Download. are also typical. The black rhino population in this area is one of the few unfenced populations of black rhinos in the world, and it is estimated to number more than 100 individuals (Berger and Cunningham 1994). The different regions show considerable climatic differences regarding precipitation and temperature though. Current StatusNamibia’s recent biodiversity assessment (Barnard 1998) identified priority conservation areas in the country. 1975. Two of the most striking plants of the Brandberg Mountain are the Brandberg acacia (Acacia montis-usti) and the Brandberg euphorbia (Euphorbia monteiroi subsp. 2 in 1963, the northern areas of Namaland were administered from afar by the Department of Bantu Affairs in Pretoria. water: permanent pasture: Namibia's Coastal Desert is one of the oldest deserts in the world. diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, silver, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, tungsten, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish More than 100,000 boreholes have been drilled in Namibia over the past century. 1998). Two species of Acacia are confined to this vegetation type; these are the Brandberg acacia (Acacia montis-ustii) and A. robynsiana. Although the area is rocky with poorly developed soils, it is nonetheless significantly more productive than the Namib Desert. 80 km2 (2012), 75.73 km2 (2003), 70 km² (1998 est. 1998). Rhigozum trichotomum is a very characteristic shrub of this vegetation type. Stuart, C., and Stuart, T. 1992. Namibia. Seven reptiles are strictly endemic to the ecoregion. For most of the year it is a dry, saline wasteland, but during the wet season, it forms a shallow lake covering more than 6,000 square kilometres (2,317 sq mi). High diversity of the genus Commiphora is particularly characteristic of both the mopane savanna to the north and the semi-desert and savanna transition zone. White, F. 1983. One of these areas, known as the Succulent Karoo, is home to over 5,000 species of plants, nearly half of them endemic; fully one-third of the world’s succulents are found in the Karoo. Dintera 25: 87-120. ), Total renewable water resources: 1998. Game Reserve No. The Namib Desert is a broad expanse of hyper-arid gravel, gravel with no moisture, plains and dunes that stretches along the entire coastline, which varies in width between 100 and many hundreds of kilometres. Severe overhunting of game mammals on private land was a major threat to wildlife for the first half of the century, but this was significantly reversed in 1967 when legislation shifted the ownership of game from the state to the individual landowner. Of these, 83 percent occur on and around the Brandberg, suggesting relict populations (Simmons et al. [5] The water, along with rapidly changing topography, is responsible for the creation of microhabitats which offer a wide range of organisms, many of them endemic. Near the coast there are areas where the dunes are vegetated with hammocks. 2000. Barnard, P., C. J. Elevation extremes: The Namibia has three types of climate: desert, semi-desert and subtropical. Climate map of Namibia climate in Namibia Arid and semi-arid Namibia: Virtually nonexistent on the coast, shows dense vegetation to the north and tropical arid or semi-desert, in the rest of the country, with thorny. According to Geiss’ vegetation map of Namibia (1971), the ecoregion contains three vegetation types: mopane savanna, semi-desert and savanna transition, and dwarf shrub savanna. Bush encroachment Windhoek, the nation’s capital, is located here, as well as most of the arable land. The welwitschia may be one of Namibia’s most famous plant but this desert country has many other botanical enigmas to show for itself. In the north near the border with Angola there is a flat area that has been designated by the World Wildlife Fund as part of the Angolan mopane woodlands ecoregion. One third of these boreholes have been drilled dry. Types and Severity of ThreatsOn an ecoregion scale, many species such as springboks, leopards and gemsboks have not suffered significant range reductions, and the distributions of smaller mammals have changed little during recorded history. For example, the Brandberg thick-toed gecko (Pachydactylus gaiasensis) is restricted to the Brandberg (Branch 1998). The area is ecologically important and vital to the huge numbers of birds and animals from the surrounding savannah that gather in the region as summer drought forces them to the scattered waterholes that ring the pan. permanent crops: 3–7. exclusive economic zone: Flora of the Brandberg. The country has a great mix of desert, semi- desert and savannahs. A small portion of the Namib-Naukluft National Park extends into the ecoregion to include the Naukluft Mountains (southwest of Windhoek) (Stuart and Stuart 1992). highest point: Angola 1,427 km, Botswana 1,544 km, South Africa 1,005 km, Zambia 244 km, Maritime claims: Terrain: World Wildlife Fund Inc. is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax ID number 52-1693387) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. In the interior of the country, surface water is available only in the summer months when rivers are in flood after exceptional rainfalls. Summer temperatures in the area can reach 40 °C (104 °F), and frosts are common in the winter. Winter frosts are common. Map of central and southern Namibia showing towns and rivers mentioned in the text as well as the main territories of Herero and Nama ethnic groups at the time of Pal-grave's Commission in 1876. [13] In winter, occasionally a condition known as Berg wind or Oosweer (Afrikaans: East weather) occurs, a hot dry wind blowing from the inland to the coast. Struik, Cape Town. Along the coastal plain around Swakopmund are the world’s most extensive and diverse fields of lichen; they remain dormant during dry periods, but with the addition of water, they burst into colourful bloom. PDF. The Fish River, one of Namibia’s longest rivers, begins in the Naukluft Mountains southwest of Windhoek and winds its way south for 800 km before flowing into the Orange River. The Kaoko Escarpment in the northern part of this ecoregion is an endemism hotspot, and it also has immense value in both cultural and scenic wilderness terms. Dintera 4: 1-114. Another interesting feature found on the map above is the Caprivi Strip, a geographic salient protruding from the country's northeastern corner. Pachypodium namaquanum is known as the ‘half-mens’ (half-person) plant to Namibian locals. After two years of close cooperation between staff of the Federal Institute of Geosciences and Natural Resources in Germany, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development, the Geological Survey of Namibia and the Namibia Water Corporation, the Hydrogeological Map of Namibia has become a reality. We credit the Atlas of Namibia Project (2002) Directorate of Environmental Affairs, Ministry ... Broad vegetation type (e.g. Predators include lion (Panthera leo), leopard (Panthera pardus), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus VU), bat-eared fox, (Otocyon megalotis) and Cape fox (Vulpes chama). Du Plessis, W. 1992. PDF. Justification of Ecoregion DelineationThis ecoregion is largely based on the ‘bushy Karoo-Namib shrubland’ of White (1983) and also includes a small transition area of ‘Colophospermum mopane scrub woodland to Karoo-Namib shrubland.’ This woodland ecoregion stops about 50 km from the coast compared to White’s vegetation unit, although the northern limit is the same. ZIP-Archive contains: Portable Map File - PMF, (to view use: ArcReader) SHAPE-Format GIS-Data; Meta-Data; JPEG-Image Etosha National Park is Namibia's top game-viewing destination and rated as one of the best safari destinations in Africa. Dintera 4: 1-114. This aquifer has been estimated to be capable of supplying the 800,000 people in the North for 400 years, at the current (2018) rate of consumption. note: The capture and translocation of the black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis in South West Africa. The Central Plateau runs from north to south, bordered by the Skeleton Coast to the northwest, the Namib Desert and its coastal plains to the southwest, the Orange River to the south, and the Kalahari Desert to the east. PDF. The mean maximum monthly air temperature can exceed 40°C (Lovegrove 1993). The ecoregion has many interesting, well-defined species that are taxonomically isolated, for example, the monotypic genera Phlyctidocarpa and Kaokochloa (Poaceae) (Maggs et al.
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