Abstract
The southern Namib desert has a vegetation cover of mainly succulent plants in which species of the Mesembryanthemaceae are predominant. Climatically this area is characterized by hot and dry days, and cool and humid nights with episodic rainfalls only in winter. In this environment a great number of species perform a crassulaceaen acid metabolism (CAM). The responses of these plants to water stress as well as the regulation of CAM in the natural habitat are described and discussed.
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Die Reisen in die Namib-Wüste wurden von der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (Schwerpunktprogramm: Biochemische Grundlagen ökologischer Anpassung bei Pflanzen, Az. Wi 413/9) finanziert. Wir erhielten ferner großzügige Unterstützung durch das Schimper-Stipendium, die Regierung von Südafrika (Department of Education), South African Airways und die Firmen Boehringer, Eppendorf und Mettler. Allen Stellen sei herzlich gedankt.
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von Willert, D.J., Brinckmann, E., Scheitler, B. et al. Ökophysiologische Untersuchungen an Pflanzen der Namib-Wüste. Naturwissenschaften 67, 21–28 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00424499
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00424499