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> home > regional networks > Africa > Kalahari Transect Kalahari Transect Network The Kalahari Transect is part of a system of research transects endorsed by the Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems (GCTE) project of the IGBP. These transect studies: (i) facilitate the important scale transition from local process study through landscape effects to regional and global understanding; (ii) promote interdisciplinary research through sharing of sites and resources; (iii) provide ideal "ground-truth" test beds for both remotely sensed data and global models; (iv) facilitate application of global change research to more immediate resource management problems; and (v) promote efficient use of scare research resources. Each IGBP Transect has been designed around the variation of a major environmental factor as it influences terrestrial ecosystem structure and functions. In the case of the Kalahari Transect, the primary gradient is precipitation, where the secondary gradients addresses land use intensity and nutrients. Numerous research projects are now being undertaken along the Transect including those that address land use changes, agriculture, biodiversity, multi-species production systems, ecosystem state and function, aerosol pollution, and water resources. Many of these studies are out of the Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre. In 2000, a workshop was organized under the aegis of the Botswana Global Climate Change Committee, made possible through funding from NORAD to START. It was designed to review overall progress on the Transect and set a framework for future research. The papers presented at this workshop have been compiled into a Special Issue of the Journal of Arid Environments, to be published in April 2003. Countries Involved: Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire), Zambia, Zimbabwe Contact: |
