CASE STUDY : NAMIBIAN DESERTS (2.5 - An area of hot desert)

Kalahari Desert and Namib Desert

PLANTS        2

ANIMALS        7

HUMANS        11

PLANTS

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PROBLEMS PLANTS NEED TO OVERCOME IN DESERTS:

→ Thin soil

Soil is very porous meaning water can escape before being utilized by plants. Thin soil can also lead to plants being uprooted due to winds. It is thin because little dead organic matter is being added into the soil.

→ Saline soil

Salts are drawn to the surface in a solution by rain water. When water evaporates due to high temperatures it leaves the salt behind in the soil making it toxic for most plants to grow.

→ Lack of moisture

Plants need water for photosynthesis. There’s a lack of precipitation in deserts due to high atmospheric pressure. There’s too little water in deserts for plants to be able to grow close together or to a great height.

→ Hard ground

As deserts have no clouds due to high atmospheric pressure, the ground receives high levels of  insolation. After any rains, intensive sun can dries out soil, baking it hard. This makes it difficult for plants to grow on. It can also cause flash floods.

HOW THEY OVERCOME THESE PROBLEMS:

→ Tap roots

These long roots are able to reach ground water found really deep in deserts. The Joshua tree and various cacti use taproots. In the Namib desert the Acacia tree also has tap roots.

→ Halophyitic plants

These plants have an extremely high salt tolerance. The Acacia tree is an example of a desert halophyte.

→ Succulents

→ Succulents store water in fleshy leaves or stems as there is a lack of water in deserts. The plant then draws on this water when it is needed. This helps by allowing the plant to survive long periods of time without precipitation.

→ Fewer Stomata

Desert plants have less stomata to reduce transpiration. Plants like the Torrey Yucca closes its stomata during the heat of the day and opens it at night to take in carbon dioxide.

ANIMALS

PROBLEMS ANIMALS NEED TO OVERCOME IN DESERTS:

→ Lack of water

Animals need water for their cells, to regulate body temperature and other important reasons. Deserts don’t have much water due to lack of precipitation. The harsh climate is difficult for most animals to survive in.

→ Heat and high diurnal range

There's a lack of clouds due to high atmospheric pressure, this makes deserts really hot during the day due to solar radiation directly hitting the ground. The air is also very dry in deserts contributing to its heat. On a night the temperatures drops dramatically due to a lack of cloud cover.

→ Lack of vegetation

Herbivores need plants to eat in order to get energy. Plants are needed for the energy transfer in a food chain. Deserts have very sparse and little vegetation due to heat, lack of water and other factors.

HOW THEY OVERCOME THESE PROBLEMS:

→ Most animals are small:

Smaller animals need less water to survive compared to larger animals. Meerkats are small mammals that live in the Kalahari and Namib deserts.

→ Live underground

Many animals build burrows underground to stay away from surface heat and stay warm at night. Burrows can also provide shelter from predators.

→ Nocturnal

Nocturnal Animals are awake for most of the night and less of the day. Desert animals do this because deserts have hot days and cold nights. Moving at night also reduces the risk of predators.

→ Using less water and adaptations to find it

Goats are a popular livestock in deserts because they need less water compared to dairy cows to survive. Other animals are good at finding water. For example zebras have powerful nostrils to allow them to find underground water and hooves to allow them to dig for it.

→ Travel large distances

Goats are able to travel long distances in search of food and water. Elephants also have the same ability due to their long legs and ears that allow them to regulate temperature.

→Not being fussy about what you eat

Goats are also well adapted as they are prepared to eat most vegetation, including thorns.

HUMANS

AGRICULTURE:

→ Goat herding

Goat herding is sustainable for hot a dry climate. They can travel large distances in search of food and water and they need little water to survive.  They cause little damage to desert ground.

Namibians herd goats instead of dairy cows because dairy cows need to consume more vegetation and water for milk production. Dairy cows also cause more ground damage due to weight.

MINING:

→ materials mined : diamonds and uranium

Diamonds are used to make jewelry and industrial machinery. Uranium is used for nuclear weaponry and nuclear power

CASE STUDY: Rossing Mine, Uranium mine

Opened: 1976

→ Benefits

The mine is one of the largest employers in Namibia’s Erongo Region. Employment rose from 800 (2005) to 1528 (2012) with an additional 780 jobs provided through subcontractors

→ Problems

Environmental → Destroys animal habitats and plants. Chemicals can pollute air and water. Visual and sound pollution is a disadvantage as it is unattractive to tourists.

Social → Will eventually run out of the raw material which will increase unemployment. Uses up a lot of land which could’ve been used for living space.

TOURISM:

 →Areas where tourism is centered: Walvis Bay (Biggest town on the Skeleton Coast)

 →Attractions for tourists in Namibia: Wildlife (Etosha National Park), Wild dunes, and a breath-taking coastline (Skeleton Coast)

 →Benefits for tourism in Namibia:
Employment- 60% of Namibia’s population works in the tertiary sector (service industry)
Source of income - contributes N$7.2 billion to the country’s gross domestic product
Ecotourism - As tourists pay for the tours, the money collected is used to conserve and maintain wildlife, and on the other hand, tourists get an unforgettable experience of looking at animals running free in the wild.

→Negative impacts of tourism for Namibia:
Activities such as dune surfing, quad biking and 4 by 4 tours damages the habitats for anumals living in the sand dunes. As tourists visit Namibia, local goods can become more expensive because the sellers would want to earn more and tourists are willing to pay more, but that causes the locals unable to afford some of the goods as the prices have increased. Cultures and traditions change as tourists arrive. Pollution and degradation of resources can worsen as tourism increases in size.