Understanding carbon cycling is fundamental to addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation. Drylands cover more than 40% of the Earth's surface and play a critical but often overlooked role in the global carbon budget. Because of their sparse vegetation, low biomass, and episodic productivity, drylands have traditionally been underestimated in carbon accounting models. However, new research indicates that their contribution, especially through soil and microbial processes, may be far more significant than previously assumed. Being located in Namibia’s semi-arid savannas, the Ongava Research Centre (ORC) is ideally situated to advance research on carbon cycling in drylands. With advanced infrastructure, long-term ecological datasets, and a growing international research network, ORC serves as a leading platform for understanding how carbon is stored, transferred, and lost in arid ecosystems. Coordinated by Dr Rolf Becker, this programme focuses on carbon flows through vegetation, soils, and microbial communities. It aims to improve our understanding of dryland ecosystem functioning and support science-based approaches to ecosystem restoration, land management, and climate change mitigation.
We measure how much carbon is stored in the plant biomass above ground and in root systems below ground. These data inform restoration efforts that aim to optimise carbon storage through natural vegetation.
Using automated time-lapse cameras, we track seasonal changes in leaf cover to assess how plant productivity responds to rainfall timing, drought severity, and temperature extremes.
We study the natural regeneration of dominant dryland trees such as Terminalia, Boscia, and Acacia species. This work contributes to long-term carbon modelling and effective reforestation planning.
We assess wood density and tree structure to calculate the carbon storage capacity of key tree species. This provides species-level data for regional carbon accounting.
We investigate how plant litter breaks down in arid environments and how microbial activity, soil conditions, and litter quality influence the rate of carbon release or retention in the soil.
We explore the occurrence of Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) in native succulents. CAM plants are highly water-efficient and play an important role in carbon uptake during extreme drought.
We analyse soil microbial communities to understand how bacteria, fungi, and archaea contribute to carbon cycling. Using metagenomic approaches, we identify microbial processes involved in decomposition, nutrient transformation, and soil organic matter stabilisation.
This study examines how seasonal moisture availability and water stress affect the physiological functioning of Colophospermum mopane, a dominant tree species in the region. We assess how this species regulates carbon uptake under variable conditions.
ORC is an active participant in the Soil Ecology and Carbon Observatory (SECO), a global initiative focused on understanding how soil biodiversity and ecological processes shape carbon storage across continents. Through this partnership, ORC contributes high-resolution data from Namibia’s drylands to global ecosystem models and carbon research.
Support more effective dryland restoration by identifying high carbon-yielding species and landscapes.
Contribute to improved climate models that account for dryland ecosystems.
Provide evidence for sustainable land management and carbon offset strategies.
Help Namibia meet national and international environmental targets, including those related to land degradation neutrality and climate change adaptation.
