Late quaternary environmental reconstruction and climate modelling in the winter rainfall region of the Western Cape, South Africa

The southwestern Cape of South Africa is a floristically diverse region experiencing winter rainfall, and is important as it represents a significant southern hemisphere example of a Mediterranean climate regime. Acquiring palaeoenvironmental data from this region is imperative in understanding the climatic changes that have occurred during the Late Quaternary, with a view to improved palaeclimatic modelling. The spatial distribution of studies for the Late Quternary in the southwestern Cape is uneven and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions have been largely restricted to sites, which are easilty accessible, and appropriate only for the methods being used (e.g. palynology for wetlands). Moreover, many of the palaeoenvironmental reconstructions implemented thus far fall outside the winter rainfall region sensu stricto. Hence spatial differentiation in climatic response may have remained obscured due to the 'selection' of sites used.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Environmental and Geographical Science

Year dc:date.issued

2001

Author dc:creator

• Mulock-Houwer, Anne

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Hewitson, Bruce C
• Meadows, Michael E

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6069

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/6069