the nama karoo biome is located entirely on the central plateau mostly at altitudes between 1000 and 1500 m. it incorporates nearly the whole of the historical and geographical great karoo, but also includes a portion of southern namibia's namaqualand, and south africa's bushmanland (both local geographical names, not names of biomes). it is the second-largest biome in south africa, and forms the botanical transition between the fynbos biome to the south and the savannah biome to the north. it is defined primarily by the dominance of dwarf (less than 1 m high) shrubs with a codominance of grasses especially towards the north-east and east where it grades into the grassland biome of the highveld and the eastern midlands. the shrubs and grasses are deciduous, mainly in response to the irregular rainfall.