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NAME Namib-Naukluft Park

IUCN MANAGEMENT CATEGORY II (National Park)

BIOGEOGRAPHICAL PROVINCE 3.15.07 (Namib)

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION Stretching along the central coastal area of Namibia and inland 170km to the Naukluft Mountains. 22°35'-26°40'S, 14°25'-16°22'E

DATE AND HISTORY OF ESTABLISHMENT Namib Desert National Park was first established as a game reserve in 1907. The Sandwich area was incorporated into the game reserve in 1941. In 1956, the reserve was enlarged by the inclusion of the Kuiseb Canyon, Swakop river valley, and the Welwitchia plains changing the name to the Namib Desert Park. In 1966, the Naukluft farm was purchased and two years later the Naukluft Mountain Zebra Park was established. Amalgamated with Naukluft Mountain Zebra Reserve in 1979 by a 30km wide corridor. Size increased from 2,244,150ha to present size in 1984, officially proclaimed in 1986 when the remainder of Diamond Area II was added under Nature Conservation Ordinance No. 31 (Art. 38 1964). Sandwich harbour has been proposed as a Ramsar site.

AREA 4,976,800ha

LAND TENURE Government, under jurisdiction of the Directorate of Environmental Affairs.

ALTITUDE Sea level to 2,000m

PHYSICAL FEATURES The Namib is the only true desert in southern Africa, and is considered to be the oldest desert in the world. The park contains the gravel plains of intensely weathered schists, marbles, quartzites, and granites, with some gypsum crusts, calcrete and desert pavement. Soils are shallow with evaporitic horizons and a buried fossil red-brown layer. River canyons are intermittent and sand-filled, some surface flow continuing in some sections and forming waterholes where impeded by impervious barriers. Extensive sand dunes run parallel to the coastline for up to 120km inland. The park also contains Sandwich Harbour which is an internationally important wetland formed by water seeping through the surface of the Kuiseb river bed. The annexed Naukluft Mountains lie astride the western escarpment. They overlook the Namib Desert plains, 1,000m below, and form part of a large triangular plateau which is higher than the main plateau and separated from it by almost unbroken cliffs, 500m high. They are geologically part of the Nama system and composed of successive horizons of quartzite, limestone, dolomite, and shale which have been folded by pressure and gravitation to produce a south-east inclination. Soils are shallow except on less pronounced slopes.

CLIMATE Mean daily temperature in the desert is 20°C with almost no frost; mean annual rainfall is 23mm, but fog precipitation, which occurs on an annual average of 60 days, accounts for a further 31mm. The mountains have hot summers with mean maximum temperature of 35°C, summer convective storm precipitation of 200mm; and cool winterswith occasional frosts.

VEGETATION Lichens and succulent plants dominate on inselbergs and pegmatite dykes, making use of moisture in fog and dew. Lichens include Parmelia hottentotta, P. namaensis and Caloplaca elegantissima. Succulent genera include Hoodia, Lithops, Sarcocaulon, Euphorbia spp. Aloe spp., the less common Aloe namibensis, and Mesembryanthemum spp.. Sandy wastes support halophytes such as Zygophyllum stapfii, Z. simplex, and Aizoon dinteri. The riverbeds near the coast are colonized by Tamarix, Lycium and Salsola and inland by a denser growth of Acacia giraffae and A. albida with some Orange River ebony Euclea pseudebenus, and Salvadora persica. The fruit of Acanthosicyos horridus, which occurs in the Kuiseb Valley, is a valuable source of water in the desert. The most unusual single species is the endemic Welwitschia mirabilis, first discovered in 1863 near the Swakop river and still the only known species of its family. There is a complex and varied vegetation on the mountains due to the wide variation in aspect and edaphic conditions. The plateau surface peneplain is a mosaic of smaller communities dominated by low scattered scrub interspersed with bare ground or clumps of perennial grass. The southern slopes of the mountain massif are covered mainly by grass and short shrub species including Commiphora, Euphorbia, Boscia albitrunca, Maerua schinzii, Aloe dichotoma, and Moringa ovalifolia. Riparian vegetation contains a large variety of taller trees including Ficus and Acacia spp. Uncommon species include Aloe sladeniana, Lithops, Huernia, Hoodia, Stapelia, Aloe karasbergensis, Cyphostemma spp., and the endemic resurrection plant Myrothamnus flabellifolius.

FAUNA Desert mammals include three species of elephant shrew, desert golden mole Eremitalpa granti, six species of gerbil including the endemic dune hairy-footed gerbil Gerbillarus tytonis, black-backed jackal Canis mesomelas, bat-eared fox Otocyon megalotis, African wild cat Felis silvestris, oryx oryx gazella, spotted hyaena Crocuta crocuta and brown hyaena Hyaena brunnea dominating the coastline in relatively large numbers, and springbok Antidorcas marsupialis.

The coastal section of the park, including Sandwich Harbour, includes breeding populations of jackass penguins Spheniscus demersus, Damara terns Sterna balaenarum, white-breasted Phalacrocorax carbo, cape P. capensis, bank P. neglectus and crowned P. coronatus cormorants, and great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus as well as important non-breeding populations of greater Phoenicopterus ruber (14,000) and lesser P. minor flamingoes (13,000), white pelicans P. onocrotalus and large populations of Palaearctic waders including common and Arctic terns Sterna paradisaea (51,000), curlew sandpiper Calidris ferruginea (44,000), little stints C. minuta (31,000), and sanderlings C. alba (14,000).

The gravel plains support high breeding concentrations of lappet-faced vulture Torgos tracheliotus, greater kestrel Falco rupicoloides, Gray's lark Ammomanes grayi, Ruppell's korhaan Eupodotis rueppellii and Ludwig's bustard Neotis ludwigii, while in the dune sea to the south resides the endemic dune lark Mirafra erythrochlamys. On the escarpment (Naukluft region) the endemic Herero chat Namibornis herero can be found, as well as black eagles Aquila verreauxii and rosy-faced lovebirds Agapornis roseicollis. Sandwich harbour is the breeding ground for large numbers of fish and the birds are attracted by the large numbers of young fish trapped in the shallow waters by the outgoing tide. Reptiles include Palmatogecko rangei, Aporosaura anchietae, and sidewinder Bitis peringueyi. The invertebrate fauna is of great interest and includes the beetles Onymacris unguicularis andLepidochora spp., which have evolved methods of condensing fog as a source of water. Mountain mammals include baboon Papio ursinus, leopard Panthera pardus (T), cheetah Acinonyx jubatus (V), mountain zebra Equus zebra hartmannae (V), gemsbok Oryx gazella, rock hyrax Procavia capensis, kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros, and klipspringer Oreotragus oreotragus. Mountain birds include black eagle Aquila verreauxii preying mainly on the rock hyrax.

LOCAL HUMAN POPULATION The Topnaar Hottentots have lived in the river valley for generations. They farm goats and cattle and are a permanent population in the park. Part of their rich heritage is evident in many place-names, such as Gobabeb meaning 'the place of the fig tree'.

VISITORS AND VISITOR FACILITIES Accommodation in the park is available at official overnight campsites including Naukluft, Sesriem, Homeb, Ganab, Vogelvlederberg and Bloedkoppe. Other facilities include a 4-8 day unguided hiking trail in the Naukluft mountains. Permits are required to enter the park. There are over 500km of tourist roads. Sesriem has a new swimming pool, small shop (very limited stock), petrol and camping facilities.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND FACILITIES Studies by resident and visiting scientists and conservators concerning all aspects of the biology, geomorphology and archaeology of the Namib Desert. In particular, physiological and behavioural adaptations to extreme desert conditions have been studied. At Gobabeb, is the Namib Research Institute which was established in 1963 with offices, accommodation facilities and laboratories; the Desert Ecological Research Unit (DERUN), established in 1966; and a permanently monitored weather station.

CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT The Tsondabvlei area is only open to scientific researchers. Sandwich harbour is a fenced bird sanctuary where visitor access is prohibited. Illegal nomadic farming in the Kuiseb floodplain is a conservation concern and is being stopped. There are 576km of game-proof fences along the inland boundary. Water is the most significant limiting factor, and boreholes operated by wind-driven pumps are located at restcamps. There is a future possibility that Sandwich Harbour may be nominated as a Ramsar site.

MANAGEMENT CONSTRAINTS Three large, inactive mining concessions remain in the park. Prospecting in the pre-park era left visible scars in several areas. Natural migration patterns of gemsbok are threatened because the numerous fountains of the escarpment are being farmed too intensely.

Baboons are a problem in the Naukluft largely a result of tourists either feeding them or not storing food properly. Off-road driving from the Sesriem camp to Sossusvlei causes damage to the gravel plans and increases the rate of erosion.

STAFF 110 units (1989)

BUDGET US$ 120,000 (1989)

LOCAL ADDRESSES Directorate of Environmental Affairs, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Private Bag 13306, Windhoek 9000

Dr Peter Bridgeford, Senior Park Warden, Namib Naukluft Park, Private Bag 5021, Walvis Bay, Namibia.

REFERENCES A multitude of scientific papers, mainly by scientists working over the years at the Desert Ecological Research Unit (DERUN), Gobabeb, have been published as well as through the Namibian Scientific Society in Windhoek.

Bolton, B. and Marsh, A.C. 1989. The Aftrotropical thermophilic ant genus Oxymyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Natural History 23: 1267-1308.

Dawson, W.R. Pinshow, B.Bartholomew, G.A. Seely, M.K. Shkolnik, A. Shoemaker, V.H. and Teeri, J.A. 1989. What's special about the physiological ecology of desert organisms? Journal of Arid Environments 17: 131-143.

Hoffman, M.T., Cowling, R.M., Douie, C. and Pierce, S.M. 1989. Seed predation and germination of Acacia erioloba in the Kuiseb Valley, Namib Desert. South African Journal of Botany 55(1): 103-106.

Livingstone, I., 1989. Monitoring surface change on a Namib linear dune. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 14:317-332.

Olivier, W. and Oliver, S. 1993. A Guide to Namibian Game Parks, Longman Publishers, Windhoek, Namibia. 248pp.

Seely, M.K. 1989. Is there anything special about the Namib Desert? South African Journal of Science 85:215.

Wilkin, D.C. 1989. Spatial patterns of human ecosystem productivity in South West Africa (Namibia). Geoforum 20(3):329-337.

DATE 1983, 1988, 1989 and June 1995

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