The late quaternary palaeoenvironments of a subalpine wetland in Cathedral Peak, KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg.
Loading...
Date
2011
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
In contrast to the wealth of palaeoenvironmental research stemming from the eastern
Afromontane archipelago, the southern Afromontane component, which comprises largely of
the Drakensberg, remains understudied. The Drakensberg constitute an area of significant
biodiversity, cultural and economic importance. Suitable sites for palaeoenvironmental research
are rare in South Africa due to general arid climatic conditions over much of the country. The
KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg offers a unique opportunity for palaeoenvironmental research
through its increased rainfall and higher altitudes, which enable the development of wetlands
that have the potential for polliniferous accumulation to occur. Catchment Six in Cathedral Peak
is one such wetland that has provided an opportunity to research palaeoenvironmental
conditions of the southern Afromontane archipelago component. A 371 cm sediment core was
extracted from a subalpine wetland in Catchment Six and analysed using multiple proxies
including; pollen, charcoal and geochemistry (carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes). A
chronological framework for the core was established based on accelerated mass spectrometry
radiocarbon dating of eight bulk sediment samples. A basal date of 15,100 ± 445 cal yr BP was
determined at a depth of 298 cm. Poor pollen preservation of the basal portion of the core
limited palaeoenvironmental inference for the late Pleistocene section of the record. The multiproxy
record provides high chronological resolution for the early to late Holocene. Multi-proxy
data indicate that the Holocene period in the Drakensberg was characterised by variable climatic
conditions. Charcoal data indicate periods of increased regional fires in the last ca. 400 cal yr
BP. Palaeoenvironmental inferences from the Catchment Six record are broadly in agreement
with regional climatic indications based on existing literature.
Description
Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.
Keywords
Palaeoecology--Quaternary., Palaeobotany--Quaternary., Pollen, Fossil--Drakensberg Mountains., Environmental archaeology--Drakensberg Mountains., Theses--Geography.