Conservation of Quiver Trees in Namibia and South Africa under a Changing Climate

摘要

Aloe dichotoma(Quiver tree) occurs in the arid regions of Namaqualand and Bushman land inSouth Africa, and in arid regions of southern Namibia. The Quiver trees are notonly threatened by agricultural expansion, overgrazing, and mining; but also byclimate changes and droughts. Previous studies show that Quiver trees are verysensitive to environmental changes, and do not respond well to extreme hot anddry conditions. This study investigates the current status of the Quiver treewithin its existing environment, and also assesses the projected future changesof the Quiver tree habitat under different climatic scenarios. It providedevidence regarding the importance of the study to understanding the climatechange impacts on the Quiver tree and its geographical response to climatechanges.