Grasslands of the World.pdf - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP

Grasslands of South Africa 85
and cool winter (July) mean daily minima of 0–2°C), with frost during the
coolest months (Schulze 1997). These conditions favour the development and
maintenance of grassland . This region experiences occasional snow. The warm
Mozambique current on the east coast plays a strong role in ameliorating
temperatures along the coastal zone between East London and Mozambique.
The northern parts of the coastal zone experience warm winter daily minima
(8–10°C) and warm summer maxima (32°C) and the climate is strongly
subtropical . The vast interior, represented by the Kalahari basin and the Namakaroo
, experiences a more extreme climate, with low winter mean daily minima
(0–2°C ) and high mean daily summer maxima (32–34°C). The southern and
southwestern coastal zone experiences moderate winter mean daily minima
(6–8°C) as a result of the circumpolar Westerlies that bring moist, cold air from
the southern Oceans during June, July and August (winter). The temperatures
on the west coast, from Cape Town to Port Nolloth, are influenced by the
cold Benguela current. This arid region experiences July mean daily minima of
6–8°C, but little or no frost, and is able to support a rich succulent flora. The
cold ocean current favours the development of fog during the winter months,
bringing cold, moist air onto the coastal plain.
Soils
The relatively young South Africa n geology gives rise to soils of high nutrient
status. The Nama-karoo biome of the central regions comprise predominantly
mudstones and sandstones of the Karoo Supergroup, which give rise to
shallow (