Succulent Karoo

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Yellow demarcated the Karoo; to the left of the green line is the succulent caroo

The Succulent Karoo (English Succulent Karoo ) is a biogeographic region or biome in western Africa and south-western Namibia . It is named after the succulents that are common there and is home to numerous endemic species. The area is considered a biodiversity hotspot .

geography

The Succulent Karoo , part of the Karoo , extends from the southwest coast of Namibia across parts of the South African province of North Cape southeast to the highlands of the Western Cape province . It is around 110,000 square kilometers, according to other information 83,000 square kilometers. It is divided into the western Namaqualand-Namib domain and the eastern Southern Karoo domain . While the area in the west is less than 800 meters above sea level, it rises to 1500 meters in the east on the western and southern edges of the Great Rim .

The Succulent Karoo includes the Namaqualand and Knersvlakte in South Africa, the cross-border ǀAi-ǀAis Richtersveld Transfrontier Park and the Tsau-ǁKhaeb (restricted area) National Park in Namibia. In the north the area is bounded by the Namib Desert, in the east by the Nama Karoo and in the south by the Fynbos area with a Mediterranean climate , which forms the flora kingdom Kapensis .

The sparse rain falls mainly in winter. In the west of the area the annual rainfall is less than 150 mm, to the east it is higher. In the west, winter temperatures are mostly mild; Unlike in the eastern part, there is hardly any frost there. Fog often occurs near the sea . In summer over 40 ° C are reached.

Flora and fauna

Succulents in the Knersvlakte
Flowering time in Namaqualand

Because of the low summer rainfall, only specialized creatures can exist there. The succulent caroo is one of the areas with the richest flora in the world. More than 5000 species of higher plants live here, around 40% of which are endemic. Around a third of the around 10,000 succulent species found worldwide grow here. There are around 630 species of geophytes . 851 of the plant species, including 685 endemics, are on the red list . In spring, for example, there is massive flowering in Namaqualand. Trees and grasses are rather rare in the Succulent Karoo. Among the few invasive species belongs Acacia cyclops on the coast in the south of the territory.

The endemic animal species include 22 of 50 scorpion species that occur there , various monkey beetles (Hopliini), Melittidae and numerous reptile species. Birds and mammals are also found, but endemics are less common in these classes .

ecology

The organization Conservation International declared the Succulent Karoo to be a biodiversity hotspot (something like the "focal point of biodiversity "). It is the world's only biodiversity hotspot in an arid area.

In order to preserve the flora and fauna, the interstate Succulent Karoo Ecosystem Program (SKEP) was initiated around 2001 . The succulent caroo has been on Namibia's tentative list as a world heritage site since October 2016 . Only a small part of the area is under protection. Biodiversity is threatened by overgrazing and mining .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Description at planet.botany.uwc.ac.za (English), accessed on December 5, 2017
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Description at worldwildlife.org (English), accessed on December 5, 2017
  3. ↑ a b c d Description at pza.sanbi.org (English), accessed on December 6, 2017
  4. ↑ Wolfgang Frey, Rainer Lösch: Geobotany: Plant and Vegetation in Space and Time. 3. Edition. Springer, Heidelberg / Berlin 2011, ISBN 9783827423368 , p. 419. Excerpts from books.google.de
  5. ↑ What is the Succulent Karoo Ecosystem Program (SKEP)? sanbi.org, accessed December 7, 2017