Greater Karoo & Kalahari Drylands bioregion
The bioregion’s land area is provided in units of 1,000 hectares. The conservation target is the combined Global Safety Net (GSN1) areas for the component ecoregions. The protection level indicates the percentage of the GSN goal that is currently protected on a scale of 0-10. N/A means data is not available at this time.
The Greater Karoo & Kalahari bioregion, part of the Southern Afrotropics subrealm located in the Afrotropical realm, encompasses the large expanse of dry savannas and woodlands between the Highveld in South Africa and the coastal deserts of Namibia. It contains four ecoregions—Kalahari Acacia Woodlands (47), Gariep Karoo (94), Kalahari Xeric Savanna (97), Nama Karoo Shrublands (101)—totaling approximately 121 million hectares of land area. Despite its dry climate, the bioregion is home to an extraordinary range of mammals including meerkat, the brown hyena, bat-eared and cape foxes, and all three of Africa’s big cats – cheetah, leopard and the famous black-maned Kalahari lions.
The Greater Karoo & Kalahari Drylands bioregion is part of the Southern Afrotropics subrealm and is made up of four ecoregions: Kalahari Acacia Woodlands [1], Kalahari Xeric Savanna [2], Gariep Karoo [3], Nama Karoo Shrublands [4].
Learn more about each of the Greater Karoo & Kalahari Drylands ecoregions below.
Subscribe to receive monthly updates on climate solutions, environmental heroes, and the profound beauty and wonder of our shared planet Earth.
Explore the Bioregions
Want to learn more about the fascinating species, diverse ecosystems, and natural wonders of the Earth? Click the button below to launch One Earth's interactive navigator and discover your Bioregion!
LAUNCH NAVIGATOR