NEWS
From page 10
Global warming might make for
a permanent El Nino effect
being their second cut.
K In the medium term, ie
through the winter to the next
and fill dams and rivers, but
rainy season, the rains that
there will still be a shortage
will fall now will replenish
partially ground water sources next year. And, of course,
there will be feed shortages,
and higher food prices,
especially of red meat later in
the year as there won't be the
throughput of slaughter
animals to satisfy demand.
K In the long term, the
weather pattern depends on
the extent of global warming
and the El Nino/La Nina
cycle.
Weather scientists are pretty
sure they can predict when
an El Nino (which brings
drought to southern Africa
and elsewhere in the
southern hemisphere) will
occur, and when the cycle
will change to the opposite,
the La Nina effect.
What they are less sure of is
the intensity of the effect and
therefore the intensity of the
drought or above-average
rainfall that we can expect.
What they are also beginning
to factor in to the calculation
is the degree to which global
warming affects the El Nino
(which is nothing more than
the effect that happens as a
result of higher-than-normal
ocean temperatures in the
central Pacific Ocean).
With global warming raising
temperatures generally (2015
was the hottest year ever
recorded in many parts of the
world) scientists are now
taking the view that ocean
temperatures will be affected,
which if that includes the
central Pacific will mean an
increase in the number, and
possibly also intensity of, El
Nino years, which will mean
that the current pattern of
drought and dry years in
southern Africa could
become the norm.
PLANT ID
From page 10
herbarium, check the I-spot
website (www.ispotnature.org/communities/southernafrica). You may find images
of your plant there. You can
also upload your images of
plants and animals there for
the I-spot community to
identify. Using I-Spot is free
of charge.
Identifications by the
herbarium from photos will
not be done, unless accompanied by a physical
specimen.
The National Herbarium is
located in the Pretoria
National Botanical Garden, 2
Cussonia Avenue,
Brummeria. For Taxonomic &
botanical enquiries call 012
843-5000.
12
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