Page 108 - Discover Botswana 20th edition

and the short~livcd paradise they initiate. The Kaiagadis charismatic and show the first signs of actual extinctions as a result of climate
large predators in turn follow the movements of the herds. change. Predicting extreme climate events and understanding of these

lntheyear zoootlie i(gaiagadiTransfrontier Park(KTP)wasoflicially impacts on biodiversity (including extinctions, rltnge shifts. changes
launched. setting a precedent in conservation in southern Africa. The in distributions. hybridization and inter-species competition) are very
KTP encompasses a massive 38.000 square kilometm of which thrcc- important. They are the key to cifective biodiversity conservation
quarters lies in Botswana and the remaining quarter in South Africa. management in the future.
it is managed as a single ecological unit without restricting animal The Kgalagadi is a magnetically epic place, its beauty is in its
movemcnLs on the international border between the two countries. wildness. its charismatic animals and diversity. the mesmerizing
An area this large provides l.arge—scale conservation opportunities landscapes,spectacularstorms and it's manycontrasts.Then there is the
where ecological processes can continue in perpetuity. allowing the wonderful myriad ivays adopted by flora and fauna to survive in this
continuation oievolution and adttptaliun hostile environment. the intricate interconnections and dept-liclencics

In light ofihe incredible response nature has developed to cope with that make this ccasysierri function against the odds Here you can feel
the extreme conditions in the Kgalagadi. it might come as unexpected the core essence of life. to be or not to be...
to learn that global warming is A serious threat. Even ll few degrees of
warming can lead to unprecedented negative impacts on biodiversity
and ccosystt-in functioning in an already finely balanced habitat.
Arid savannahs like the Kalahari are expected to be very vulnerable

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