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likely to be extremely consequential for the biota of the Karoo , while the local jobs created are expected to be largely unskilled and short term . Unfortunately , little of the published literature on the Karoo is helpful when trying to predict the impact of such large-scale disturbances on the environment ; these developments present unique pressures which demand new studies .
The wide-open spaces and relatively unpolluted skies of the Karoo have also caught the attention of astronomers . The Southern African Large Telescope opened outside Sutherland in 2005 while the world ’ s largest radio telescope , the Square Kilometre Array ( SKA ), is being constructed near Carnarvon . The environmental impacts are likely to be broadly positive , with the establishment of a national park around the SKA adding considerably to the area under conservation protection in the Nama- Karoo . However , assessing the impact on local social and economic dynamics of the regulatory controls associated especially with radio astronomy
References is a more complex undertaking . 14 Final thoughts
There has been an increasing flow of research outputs for the Karoo since 1986 . While the interest has been primarily within the environmental sciences , a greater emphasis on the human sciences and interdisciplinary studies is becoming evident . However , much research underestimates the extent to which and significance of how land-use changes have reconstituted the Karoo ’ s social and ecological environments . In this context , knowledge about rangeland ecology and the impact of domestic livestock has relatively limited reach . The new research questions that are emerging also underscore the need for more inter- and cross-disciplinary collaboration .
Even though the Karoo appears peripheral to the major centres of power , it is an historically and ecologically important region that features increasingly prominently in national development
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Acknowledgements
This work draws in part on the research supported by the South African Research Chairs Initiative of the Department of Science and Innovation and National Research Foundation of South Africa ( grant no . 98765 ).
Any opinion , finding and conclusion or recommendation expressed in this material is that of the authors and the NRF does not accept any liability in this regard .
Competing interests
We declare that there are no competing interests .
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