vegetation map of namibia
The northern area of the escarpment, the Kaoko escarpment, is an endemism "hotspot" (an area of extremely high species richness and endemism). are also typical. Nordenstam, B. The map below, also derived from Terra data, shows changes in the “greenness” of the landscape in February 2021 compared to the 20-year average for the month (Read more about the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index.) Strelitzia 1. [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. Human impacts on woody vegetation and multivariate analysis: a case study based on data from Khowarib settlement, Kunene Region. This distribution suggests relict populations isolated, perhaps, by low desert temperatures and mobile sands on the coastal plains, isolating rocky habitats and promoting speciation. 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. The establishment of artificial water sources and reduced predator numbers has increased distributions of these species. The northern part of this region is far more densely populated than the south, where the grazing is of poor quality and the water generally saline. 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. The reason behind this high productivity and endemism may be the relatively stable nature of precipitation. 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. The United Nations then revoked South Africa's mandate over Namibia. vegetation map of Namibia at a scale of 1:1 000 000. The northern part of the Namib mainly consists of gravel plains whereas the central part is known for it… 2. Griffin, M. 1998. Mean minimum monthly temperatures drop to -9°C in places, and absolute readings are even lower. 1974. Namibian National Biodiversity Task Force, Directorate of Environmental Affairs, Windhoek. Namibia map of Köppen climate classification zones. The outline map of Namibia reresents mainland Namibia, a Southern African nation. exclusive economic zone: The Nature Conservation Amendment Act of 1992 extends similar fundamental rights to people living in communal areas, with the hope that rural dwellers will realize the value of wildlife and manage it sustainably. Rainfall is however highly variable, and droughts are common. 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). Struik, Cape Town. For this purpose, the analogue vector maps were digitized. (2004) map were vectorized and clipped with the boundary of Namibia. (iii) To establish a database of vegetation and habitat data. With a long coastline on the Atlantic Ocean, Namibia has several islands as well which are not visible in the above map. Most of the rain falls as thundershowers in the summer months, from October to March. Biological Diversity in Namibia. The vegetation of Africa, a descriptive memoir to accompany the UNESCO/AETFAT/UNSO Vegetation Map of Africa (3 Plates, Northwestern Africa, Northeastern Africa, and Southern Africa, 1:5,000,000). 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. To the west of the town of Windhoek, it includes the Hochland Plateau that varies from rugged in the north (with broad valleys and inselbergs) to a flat and stony plateau dissected by deep valleys in the south. Areas within the Namib include the Skeleton Coast and the Kaokoveld in the north and the extensive Namib Sand Sea along the central coast. 1994. 1998). ), Total renewable water resources: Acacia senegal and A. tortilis are also found, mainly in the alluvial sands and silts along ephemeral rivers in the ecoregion. prolonged periods of drought, Environment - current issues: Tufted grasses, mainly Stipagrostis spp., are found scattered between the woody plants. Greg Christelis, CHR Water Consultants, Namibia Katharina Dierkes, The Maproom, Namibia Martin Quinger, BGR, Germany Brian Matengu, NamWater, Namibia Professor Jurgen Kirchner, Groundwater Investigations, Namibia Christoph Lohe, BGR, Germany Arnold Bittner, SLR Environmental Consultants, Namibia Dr Kirsty Upton, Brighid Ó Dochartaigh, British Geological Survey, UK Dr Imogen Bellwood-Howard, Institute of Development Studies, UK Please cite this page as: Christelis, Dierkes, Quinger, Mate… Since this map was produced a number of small study areas, mostly game reserves, have been mapped in detail. Königstein 2,573 m, Natural resources: In contrast to the rugged and stony land to the northwest, most of the sandveld is extremely flat (Barnard 1998). The Khomas region contains Namibia’s second highest mountain, the Auasberg, at 2,479 m, and it is in a transitional arid region, representing ideal conditions for speciation of desert plants. It stretches along the eastern boundary of the Skeleton Coast National Park, in the area previously occupied by Game Reserve No. 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. In situ conservation in Namibia: the role of national parks and nature reserves. [15] Due to the dry winters snowfall has a very rare occurrence and prompts media coverage whenever it happens. Key Facts. Covering some 22 270 square kilometres of dramatic landscapes in northern Namibia, Etosha is home to a rich diversity of wildlife and birds, despite its stark appearance. Free PDF. The vegetation of the Namibian savanna woodland is varied in structure, physiognomy and species distribution. 3–7. Erongo Region This region comprises the Swakopmund magisterial district up to the Ugab river and includes the enclave of Walvis Bay, former Damaraland south of the Ugab river, and the Omaruru and Karibib magisterial districts. This is a list of the extreme points of Namibia, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location. 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. With increasing demands for land, proper land-use planning becomes an urgent need of national importance. Due to the low population density, the very low air pollution and the virtually non-existing light pollution Namibia offers ideal conditions to explore the southern night sky. Madoqua 9(2): 35-44. WWF® and ©1986 Panda Symbol are owned by WWF. Description. This was a period of corruption and widespread poaching. 1998). 80 km2 (2012), 75.73 km2 (2003), 70 km² (1998 est. Namibia's Coastal Desert is one of the oldest deserts in the world. This region is named after the Erongo mountain, a well known landmark in Namibia and in this area. A short summary of this paper. PDF. The last[update] snow was reported at Spreetshoogte Pass in the Namib-Naukluft Park in June 2011. 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. 0% (2018) Windhoek, the nation’s capital, is located here, as well as most of the arable land. The country has a great mix of desert, semi- desert and savannahs. The area receives a significantly greater amount of precipitation than the rest of the country, averaging around 400 mm (15.7 in) per year. Premium PDF Package. The Kaoko Escarpment that makes up this ecoregion has the highest level of avian diversity in Namibia, with 297 bird species recorded to date. Location and extent. Our NDVI-profile based maps and the Mayaux et al. Illegal trade in spectacular succulent species is believed to be considerable (Maggs et al. Seven reptiles are strictly endemic to the ecoregion. other: Vegetation Survey of Namibia. Biodiversity and Conservation 7: 513-530. As sand-laden waters drop their suspended loads into the Atlantic, onshore currents deposit them along the shore. Vegetation Map of Africa. Only 16% of the total length is rocky shoreline. Hoffman / Science of the Total Environment 416 (2012) 276–288 277. 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. The Brandberg Mountain supports 90 of Namibia’s endemic plants and eight plants that are only found there (Maggs et al. 2 in 1963, the northern areas of Namaland were administered from afar by the Department of Bantu Affairs in Pretoria. In the interior of the country, surface water is available only in the summer months when rivers are in flood after exceptional rainfalls. 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) Atlantic Ocean 0 m This forest is a national monument. Most aim to enhance habitat for, and numbers of, game species, such as ungulates and game birds to draw income from tourism ventures (Barnard et al. The highest point is Mount Koenigstein (2636 m) in the massive Brandberg. Other endemics and near-endemics found within the ecoregion as a whole are Panicum arbusculum, Stachys burchelliana, Schotia afra, Berkheya chamaepeuce, Barleria lichtensteiniana, Euphorbia gariepina, E. gregaria, E. avasmontana, Zygophyllum dregeanum, and Z. microcarpum (Werger 1978). contiguous zone: One third of these boreholes have been drilled dry. Predators include lion (Panthera leo), leopard (Panthera pardus), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus VU), bat-eared fox, (Otocyon megalotis) and Cape fox (Vulpes chama). Shared with South Africa and Botswana, it has a variety of localised environments ranging from hyper-arid sandy desert, to areas that seem to defy the common definition of desert. 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. The low humidity of the area, without the cooling effect of the Benguela Current, results in extreme temperatures. Fernwood Press, Vlaeberg. The only perennial rivers are found on the national borders with South Africa, Angola, Zambia, and the short border with Botswana in the Caprivi. Two of the most striking plants of the Brandberg Mountain are the Brandberg acacia (Acacia montis-usti) and the Brandberg euphorbia (Euphorbia monteiroi subsp. Griffin, M. 1998. With this in mind, a project was launched to map and properly describe the vegetation of Namibia in the late 1990s (Strohbach, 2001). The coastal plains are dune fields, gravel plains covered with lichen and some scattered salt pans. 4,220 km This reflects diverse topographic factors and related soil and microclimate characteristics (Werger 1978; Giess 1971; White 1983). This vegetation type extends eastwards into the Kalahari Xeric Savanna ecoregion. The ecoregion has a significantly larger number of Namibian endemic invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds than adjacent ecoregions (Simmons et al. The Cinderella waxbill is found in the wetter area of southern Angola, entering the ecoregion down the Kunene River (Simmons et al. The most widely accepted explanation for these present-day disjunct distributions is that they are relicts from a previously continuous arid belt stretching across Africa from Somalia to Botswana, Namibia and South Africa (Werger 1978). Zambia vegetation map. Rebelo, A. G. 1994. However, this is expensive and such practices have been jeopardized by uncertainty about impending land reform, particularly at the time of independence in 1990 (Barnard et al. Field Guide to the Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Ceraria longipedunculata is typical of the mountainous areas to the west of the mopane savanna. View our inclusive approach to conservation. Pages 231 – 254 in B. J. Huntley, editor. On rocky ridges, the conspicuous quiver tree becomes very abundant. Only two amphibians are considered endemic to the ecoregion, the Okahandja toad (Bufo hoeschi) and the Mossamedes toad (B. grandisonae). lowest point: 1998. Namibia has more than 300 days of sunshine per year. Towards the south, the ecoregion broadens to include the rocky central plateau. Biodiversity and Conservation 7: 435-446. For example, the Brandberg thick-toed gecko (Pachydactylus gaiasensis) is restricted to the Brandberg (Branch 1998). [19] An aquifer called "Ohangwena II", located on both sides of the Angola-Namibia border, was discovered in 2012. In some areas, it forms dense woodland, whereas in others it grows as a short-stemmed shrub intermingled with scattered trees. [8], The Namib Desert and the Namib-Naukluft National Park is located here. A. The change in vegetation type reflects ecological conditions forming a natural boundary between the two regions. Winter frosts are common. Other important towns are: Location: 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). 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). Adobe Illustrator .AI EPS Vector files from our Netmaps database. Rainfall in this ecoregion is low. 1998). Otherwise, surface water is restricted to a few large storage dams retaining and damming up these seasonal floods and their runoff. 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). Bush encroachment In 1963, the Odendaal Commission of Enquiry into South West Africa Affairs re-allocated land to ethnically partitioned homelands to promote the ideology of separate development. 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. The abiotic conditions here are similar to those found along the Escarpment; however, the topographic complexity is reduced. 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. UNESCO, Paris. Where people do not live near perennial rivers or make use of the storage dams, they are dependent on groundwater. 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. [10] Namibia has rich coastal and marine resources that remain largely unexplored.[11]. Download PDF. 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. 3.1. Strelitzia 1. 1998). Another interesting feature found on the map above is the Caprivi Strip, a geographic salient protruding from the country's northeastern corner. The Vegetation Survey Project of Namibia coupled with the BIOTA southern Africa Project therefore share a common goal of re-classifying Namibian vegetation by building on the Preliminary Vegetation Map of Namibia of 1971 and the Homogenous Framing Areas Report of 1979. The mopane savanna lies to the north of the ecoregion and is characterized by Colophospermum mopane. Werger, M. J. Active intervention and conservation: Africa’s pachyderm problem. The Namibian Savanna Woodland ecoregion is also a center of high faunal endemism and species richness. Many of the species do not have sufficient data to evaluate them and place them into categories. Biodiversity and Conservation 7: 483-494. 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. Download Full PDF Package. It is also one of the few countries where animals still roam freely mostly unrestricted by human influence. This project is the basis for this paper. 2 was reduced by 72 percent to become the present Etosha Pan National Park (with a size of 22,912 km2). highest point: The northern area of this ecoregion encompasses the Kaoko Escarpment and is therefore rich in species and endemics. The Namibian coastal deserts are the richest source of diamonds on earth, making Namibia the world's largest producer of diamonds. A conservation assessment of terrestrial ecoregions of Africa: Draft proceedings of a workshop, Cape Town, South Africa, August 1998. 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. Namibia is a very diverse country with an array of habitats and vegetation. 1998). Sullivan, S., and Konstant, T. L. 1997. The country has a great mix of desert, semi- desert and savannahs. Dintera 4: 1-114. This reflects diverse topographic factors and related soil and microclimate characteristics (Werger 1978; Giess 1971; White 1983). 1% (2018) total: Hofmeyer, J. M., H. Ebedes, R. E. M. Fryer, and J. R. de Bruine. [14] Very low rainfall were recorded in 2019. Dintera 25: 87-120. The Living Deserts of Southern Africa. 823,290 km² 44% (2018), Irrigated land: Of these, 83 percent occur on and around the Brandberg, suggesting relict populations (Simmons et al. At 825,615 km 2 (318,772 sq mi), Namibia is the world's thirty-fourth largest country (after Venezuela). However, South Africa did not release control of the area until 1988. The conservation status of all Namibian mammals is now under review and, as an interim measure, a list of species with provisional conservation status rankings has been produced (Griffin 1998). Temperatures increase by about 6°C for every 1,000m you descend (or 3.5°F per 1,000ft). 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 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. For map comparison purposes, the 1: 7 million scale of the vegetation map in the Atlas of Namibia (Mendelsohn et al., 2002) was adopted. Near the coast there are areas where the dunes are vegetated with hammocks. Distribution patterns and status of mammals in South West Africa. In Namibia the Namib reaches up to 150 km inland, but has an average width of 100 km. 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. This map gives only 14 broad units, comparable to biomes, with a short narrative description and a couple of photographs for each unit. 824,292 km² The area is generally flat and the soils sandy, limiting their ability to retain water. 8.8% (2018) Around 50 reptile species are either endemic or near-endemic reptiles in the ecoregion. Struik, Cape Town. Landscape and Vegetation. Madoqua 9(1): 8-22. READ PAPER. 1975. Baseline information on the vegetation of the Kavango Region is as limited. 1978. Giess, W. 1971. Washington, DC 20037. [4] The sands that make up the sand sea are a consequence of erosional processes that take place within the Orange River valley and areas further to the south. Most of the endemics are clustered around the Brandberg Mountain and around the Khomas highlands north of Windhoek. The capital and largest city, Windhoek, is in the centre of the country. Extending the Namibian protected areas network to safeguard hotspots of endemism and diversity. 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. Maggs, G. L., P. Craven, and H. H. Kolberg. Botanical Diversity in Southern 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. A preliminary vegetation map of South West Africa. 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. The Great Escarpment swiftly rises to over 2,000 metres (6,562 ft). 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. Natural-colour satellite image of the Namibian coast. Namibia has some of the most extraordinary vegetation, all adapted to harsh desert environments. The Swakop and Kuiseb Rivers flow infrequently and are usually dry riverbeds. 1994. In the western part, towards the Kaokoveld Desert, the mopane is confined to depressions and riverbeds where it often grows together with Balanites welwitschii. 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. Iterative selection procedures: centres of endemism and optimal placement of reserves. ), 60 km² (1993 est. Because Namibia is mostly arid, much of the flora is typical African dryland vegetation: scrub brush and succulents, such as euphorbia. Biodiversity and Conservation 7: 483-494. Plant poaching by collectors of succulent species is impacting the flora of the ecoregion. PDF. The area was once part of "Game Reserve No. More than 100,000 boreholes have been drilled in Namibia over the past century. A number of Acacia species are found here, as well as grasses and other shrub vegetation. Download PDF Package. Dintera 11: 1-67. Other important rivers are the Swakop, Kuiseb, and Fish Rivers. suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore, Land use: