Vegetation survey of Namibia: conceptualisation and implementation of a nation-wide vegetation survey serving practical land management needs

The global human population is dependant on a variety of plant-based ecosystem services for its well-being, even for its very existence. The well-being, in fact, the very existence of man is dependant upon plant-based ecosystem services. Typical services derived from ecosystems encompass food production {crop growing or provision of pastures for livestock and game), the provisioning of raw materials, including a profusion of materials and processes, such as building materials, fuel, water, shelter, erosion control and sediment retention, soil formation and nutrient cycling, waste treatment, gas and climate regulation, pollination, disturbance regulation and biological control {of, e.g., pests and diseases), genetic resources, and the provision of opportunities for recreational and cultural activities (Butler and Oluoch-Kosura, 2006; Corvalan et al., 2005; Costanza et al., 1997; Daily, 1997). In order to provide these services, ecosystems need to function well and biodiversity is a key feature of well-functioning ecosystems. Numerous studies show that species diversity is closely correlated with net primary production: adverse {climatic) variations are compensated for by a highly diverse composition with different traits and functional niches {Costanza et al ., 2007; Dobson et al., 2006; Lamont, 1995; Lareau, 2000; Peterson et al., 1998; Tilman, 1996; Tilman et al., 1997, 1996).

Author dc:creator

• Strohbach, Ben J.

• Vegetation survey
• Ecosystem services
• Land use
• Conservation
• Land degradation
• Deforestation
• Vegetation mapping

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11070/1324

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.unam.edu.na:11070/1324