Nama Karoo is a xeric shrubland ecoregion located on the central plateau of South Africa and Namibia. It occupies most of the interior of the western half of South Africa and extends into the southern interior of Namibia.
Climate The climate of the Nama Karoo tends to be volatile, unpredictable and rather harsh, with only the most specially-adapted organisms calling the region home. The annual ‘dry’ season—a time of blistering hot weather and drought—is long, often taking place over autumn and winter, and into early spring. Heavy rainfall primarily occurs in the spring and summer ‘wet’ season. This time of plenty can also vary, with total measured rainfall fluctuating between per year. Rainfall is also known to be highly seasonal, peaking between December and March. Precipitation tends to decrease from the east to west, and from north to south. As the climate changes, inter-annual rainfall trends become varied, and unpredictability comes to be expected, especially with increasingly prolonged periods of aridity.Desmet, P.G., and R.M. Cowling, The climate of the Karoo – A functional approach: quoted in W.R.J. Dean and S.J. Milton, The Karoo. Ecological Patterns and Processes: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1999): 3-16 Temperature variations as large as between day and night are common. Mean maximum temperatures in the mid-summer (January) exceeds , while mean minimum mid-winter (July) temperatures are below freezing.Werger, M.J.A., Biogeographical Divisions of Southern Africa: quoted in Biogeography and Ecology of Southern Africa. M.J.A. Werger and W. Junk, editors: The Hague, (1978): 231-299
See also
References
External links
World Wildlife Fund Page on Nama Karoo Nama Karoo Biome Page