Plant xylem anatomy, dendrochronology and stable carbon isotopes as tools in rainfall reconstruction in Southern Africa

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorFebruary, Edmund Carlen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2016-03-28T14:43:15Z
dc.date.available2016-03-28T14:43:15Z
dc.date.issued1997en_ZA
dc.description.abstractWithin 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.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationFebruary, E. C. (1997). <i>Plant xylem anatomy, dendrochronology and stable carbon isotopes as tools in rainfall reconstruction in Southern Africa</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18325en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationFebruary, Edmund Carl. <i>"Plant xylem anatomy, dendrochronology and stable carbon isotopes as tools in rainfall reconstruction in Southern Africa."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18325en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationFebruary, E. 1997. Plant xylem anatomy, dendrochronology and stable carbon isotopes as tools in rainfall reconstruction in Southern Africa. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - February, Edmund Carl AB - 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. DA - 1997 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1997 T1 - Plant xylem anatomy, dendrochronology and stable carbon isotopes as tools in rainfall reconstruction in Southern Africa TI - Plant xylem anatomy, dendrochronology and stable carbon isotopes as tools in rainfall reconstruction in Southern Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18325 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/18325
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationFebruary EC. Plant xylem anatomy, dendrochronology and stable carbon isotopes as tools in rainfall reconstruction in Southern Africa. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 1997 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18325en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Biological Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherBotanyen_ZA
dc.titlePlant xylem anatomy, dendrochronology and stable carbon isotopes as tools in rainfall reconstruction in Southern Africaen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
thesis_sci_1997_february_edmund_carl.pdf
Size:
7.57 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Collections
PhD / Doctoral