Holocene environmental change and the vegetation community dynamics of the Kynsna forest : pollen and charcoal analysis of sediments from Groenvlei, Southern Cape, South Africa

To establish an understanding of the long-term community dynamics of the Knysan forests, and gain a better understanding of the impacts of colonial exploitation of the forests agains a background of environmental change, sediments were extracted from the lake shore of Groenvlei, an endorheic coastal vlei in the Wilderness Lake system on the southern Cape coast, some 10 km from the present-day forest core. These sediments were described, dated by radiocarbon means and subsampled for the analysis of fossil pollen and charcoal particles, environmental proxies used respectively to infer a vegetation and fire history for the region.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Environmental and Geographical Science

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Duncan, C E

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Meadows, Michael E

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/4847

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/4847