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Pollen-based vegetation changes in southern Tanzania during the last 4200 years: climate change and/or human impact

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dc.contributor.author Vincens, Annie
dc.contributor.author Williamson, David
dc.contributor.author Thevenon, Florian
dc.contributor.author Taieb, Maurice
dc.date.accessioned 2015-08-18T10:05:18Z
dc.date.available 2015-08-18T10:05:18Z
dc.date.issued 2003-05-13
dc.identifier.citation Vincens, Annie, et al. "Pollen-based vegetation changes in southern Tanzania during the last 4200 years: climate change and/or human impact." Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 198.3 (2003): 321-334. en_GB
dc.identifier.other 10.1016/S0031-0182(03)00473-5
dc.identifier.uri http://www.taccire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/443
dc.description.abstract The age-constrained pollen data of a sedimentary sequence from the crater Lake Masoko, southern Tanzania (9‡20PS, 33‡45PE, 770 m), display a continuous record of vegetation for the past 4200 years. This record provides evidence that wetter Zambezian woodlands always occupied this area during the late Holocene, reaching a maximum extent between 2800 and 1650 cal yr BP related to increase in summer monsoon intensity. However, three main episodes of decline have been detected, between 3450 and 2800 cal yr BP, between 1650 and 1450 cal yr BP and from 1200 to 500 cal yr BP, for which a climatic interpretation, decrease in the summer monsoon strength, was preferentially advanced. The first is synchronous with lowstand of many tropical African lakes and, so, mainly induced by increased aridity. In contrast, the abrupt change in the pollen record at 1650^1550 cal yr BP is marked by a large extension of grasslands at the expense of arboreal cover, further by an increase in Ricinus communis and an intensification of burning. It could thus indicate local clearance of vegetation by man. However, at the same time, the decline of montane forest suggests the impact of a more regional change. During the last episode, between 1200 and 500 cal yr BP, dry climatic conditions are inferred from a combination of pollen, diatom and magnetic proxies, although the occurrence of Late Iron Age settlements in the region means that local human interference cannot be excluded. This study illustrates the difficulties in deciphering ecological and anthropological changes from pollen data in African tropical regions. en_GB
dc.description.sponsorship This work was supported by the European Community through the EEC Program Rukwa, the INSU-Variente and Eclipse (CLEHA) programs. en_GB
dc.language.iso en en_GB
dc.publisher Researchgate en_GB
dc.subject pollen; late Holocene; southern Tanzania; Zambezian woodland; climate change; human activity en_GB
dc.title Pollen-based vegetation changes in southern Tanzania during the last 4200 years: climate change and/or human impact en_GB
dc.type Article en_GB


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  • Climate Change impacts
    All information related to the effects and impacts of climate and weather variability --- be it on agriculture, environment, food security, transport, health etc

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