Gobabeb has initiated a study to investigate correlates of plant health of Welwitschia mirabilis (Welwitschia) in the central Namib Desert. Welwitschia is endemic to the central and northern Namib. It is a long-lived plant that has adapted to extreme hot conditions, with limited water availability among other factors. However, in spite of these extreme and challenging conditions, it has been able to grow, reproduce and persist here for thousands of years.