Will a decreasing winter rainfall cause a shift in Succulent Karoo boundaries? Evidence from competition and vegetation-change analyses.

Abstract

The ecotone between the Namaqualand shrublands (Succulent Karoo biome) and Bushmanland Arid Grassland (Nama-Karoo biome) is characterised by transitional (ecotonal) physiognomy (grassland-shrubland mosaic, and grass and shrubs intermingling in arid communities). The authors discuss findings from studies of vegetation distribution patterns and processes at the ecotone, in the context of climate change and ecotone dynamic.