1. Editorial

   OriginalPaper Pages: 1 - 2

2. Namaqualand, South Africa – an overview of a unique winter-rainfall desert ecosystem

   • R.M. Cowling
   • K.J. Esler
   • P.W. Rundel

   OriginalPaper Pages: 3 - 21

3. Biodiversity, habitat and range-size aspects of a flora from a winter-rainfall desert in north-western Namaqualand, South Africa

   • P.G. Desmet
   • R.M. Cowling

   OriginalPaper Pages: 23 - 33

4. Reserve selection in the Succulent Karoo, South Africa: coping with high compositional turnover

   • A.T. Lombard
   • C. Hilton-Taylor
   • R.M. Cowling

   OriginalPaper Pages: 35 - 55

5. Community structure on unusual habitat islands: quartz-fields in the Succulent Karoo, South Africa

   • Ute Schmiedel
   • Norbert Jürgens

   OriginalPaper Pages: 57 - 69

6. Spatial pattern analysis in Namaqualand desert plant communities: evidence for general positive interactions

   • N.S. Eccles
   • K.J. Esler
   • R.M. Cowling

   OriginalPaper Pages: 71 - 85

7. Remarkable medium-term dynamics of leaf succulent Mesembryanthemaceae shrubs in the winter-rainfall desert of northwestern Namaqualand, South Africa

   • N. Jürgens
   • I.H. Gotzmann
   • R.M. Cowling

   OriginalPaper Pages: 87 - 96

8. Comparative patterns of phenology and growth form diversity in two winter rainfall deserts: the Succulent Karoo and Mojave Desert ecosystems

   • Karen J. Esler
   • Philip W. Rundel

   OriginalPaper Pages: 97 - 104

9. Biogeography of prostrate-leaved geophytes in semi-arid South Africa: hypotheses on functionality

   • Karen J. Esler
   • Phillip W. Rundel
   • Piet Vorster

   OriginalPaper Pages: 105 - 120

10. Physiological characteristics of geophytes in semi-arid Namaqualand, South Africa

    • Birgit Rossa
    • Dieter J. von Willert

    OriginalPaper Pages: 121 - 132

11. Ecological and phylogenetic patterns of carbon isotope discrimination in the winter-rainfall flora of the Richtersveld, South Africa

    • Philip W. Rundel
    • Karen J. Esler
    • Richard M. Cowling

    OriginalPaper Pages: 133 - 148

12. A preliminary study of the responsiveness to seasonal atmospheric and rainfall patterns of wash woodland species in the arid Richtersveld

    • Stephanie J.E. Wand
    • Karen J. Esler
    • Heather W. Sherwin

    OriginalPaper Pages: 141 - 160

13. Plant induced fertile islands as possible indicators of desertification in a succulent desert ecosystem in northern Namaqualand, South Africa

    • W.D. Stock
    • T.S. Dlamini
    • R.M. Cowling

    OriginalPaper Pages: 161 - 167

14. A fence-line contrast reveals effects of heavy grazing on plant diversity and community composition in Namaqualand, South Africa

    • S.W. Todd
    • M.T. Hoffman

    OriginalPaper Pages: 169 - 178

15. Effects of grazing and cultivation on soil patterns and processes in the Paulshoek area of Namaqualand

    • N. Allsopp

    OriginalPaper Pages: 179 - 187