Plant xylem anatomy, dendrochronology and stable carbon isotopes as tools in rainfall reconstruction in Southern Africa
Doctoral Thesis
1997
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University of Cape Town
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Within South Africa there is a growing need for a high resolution proxy rainfall data set that goes back beyond the historic record. As a contribution to meeting this need four techniques for rainfall reconstruction are evaluated. It is only from a new technique utilising measurements of vessel size and frequency in the cross-sectional xylem anatomy of archaeological charcoal that statements may be made on rainfall trends over the last 2000 years. These results indicate a general decrease in rainfall from 2300 BP to the present with a slightly wetter period during the Little Ice Age (1300 to 1800 A.D.). The results also suggest that present conditions are much drier than at any other time within the last 2000 years. The only limitations on this method are the resolution of the radiocarbon dates, a suitable distribution of sites and a calibration curve for the species analysed.
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February, E. 1997. Plant xylem anatomy, dendrochronology and stable carbon isotopes as tools in rainfall reconstruction in Southern Africa. University of Cape Town.