Pollen analysis of vlei or swamp sediments from the Nuweveldberg Mountains in the Central Karoo yields a vegetation history spanning the last 760 years. It sheds light on the local vegetation shifts in response to fluctuations in climate and the possible effects of changing land-use, particularly when Khoi-Khoi herders began occupying the area which was previously inhabited by San hunter-foragers. Multiple discriminant analysis, which compares Holocene fossil pollen assemblages with modern pollen spectra, is used as a tool in palaeovegetational reconstruction. Visual, subjective zoning of the pollen diagram is substantiated by multiple discriminant analysis. This technique is shown to be useful in determining whether modern analogues exist for the fossil pollen assemblages and for identifying misclassified vegetation zones and zones not identified during the initial subjective zoning. Used in this way, multiple discriminant analysis can considerably enhance the interpretation of fossil pollen spectra.
Journal articles from the Grassland Society of Southern Africa (GSSA) African Journal of Range and Forage Science as well as related articles and reports from throughout the southern African region.