Nama Karoo types:

Bushmanland Nama KarooUpper Nama KarooOrange River Nama Karoo Eastern Mixed Nama KarooGreat Nama KarooCentral Lower Nama Karoo

53. GREAT NAMA KAROO

Synonyms:

Great Nama Karoo

Great Karoo (A26a), Karroid Broken Veld (A26).

Statistics:

18 286 km²; area transformed unknown; 0.17% conserved.

Locality & Physical Geography:

This region incorporates the western part of a large, relatively flat basin between the escarpment in the north and the Cape Fold Belt mountains in the south. Altitude ranges from 500 to 1 100 m.

Climate:

Rainfall of about 150 to 250 mm per year is low and occurs mostly in autumn. The Great Nama Karoo lies in the rainshadow of the Great Escarpment to the north and the Swartberg range to the south.

Geology & Soil:

Soils are generally very shallow and stony, and derived from Beaufort Group shales and sandstones.

Vegetation:

Perennial grasses such as Copperwire Grass Aristida diffusa, Silky Bushman Grass Stipagrostis uniplumis and Thimblegrass Fingerhuthia africana are not abundant in the landscape, except perhaps after good summer rains. The region is dominated instead by a wide variety of dwarf shrubs such as Anchorkaroo Pentzia incana, Wild Pomegranate Rhigozum obovatum and Ghombos Felicia filifolia. Although trees never dominate the landscape, species such as Small-leaf Guarri Euclea undulata and Kunibush Rhus undulata are widespread in the area.

Key Environmental Parameters:

The lack of winter rain appears to preclude succulent bushes. The low rainfall and almost skeletal soils have a major effect on the vegetation. Frosts can be important.

Economic Uses:

Mainly grazing by small stock: Dorper Sheep and Boer Goats.

Conservation Status:

Very poorly conserved, with most reserves peripheral to the vegetation type.

Key Reference:

Acocks (1988).

Author:

Timm Hoffman.