Holocene environmental change and the vegetation community dynamics of the Kynsna forest : pollen and charcoal analysis of sediments from Groenvlei, Southern Cape, South Africa
Master Thesis
2006
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University of Cape Town
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Abstract
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.
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Includes bibliographical references.
Reference:
Duncan, C. 2006. Holocene environmental change and the vegetation community dynamics of the Kynsna forest : pollen and charcoal analysis of sediments from Groenvlei, Southern Cape, South Africa. University of Cape Town.