Patterns of plant species richness and growth form diversity in critical habitats of the Nama-Karoo Biome, South Africa

The distribution patterns and determinants of biodiversity in the Nama-Karoo Biome are poorly known. This poses a problem for conservation given the impact that future developments (e.g. uranium mining, fracking) and global climate change are likely to have on the region's biodiversity. This study investigated the potential role that several environmental and climatic variables play in determining species richness, relative cover, and growth form diversity in two habitat types: plains and rocky dolerite hillslopes. The study area extended over a 600 km longitudinal environmental gradient in the Upper Karoo in which mean annual precipitation varied from 100 to 600 mm from west to east. A pairwise floristic survey approach was implemented, using modified Whittaker plots in each habitat type at 30 sites within the shale gas exploration area in the Upper Karoo bioregion. The results showed that total species richness was significantly higher (p