Reconstruction of palaeoecology and palaeoclimate dynamics
in southern African wetland sediments (pilot study)

Principal investigator (PI): Prof. Dr. R. Mäusbacher
Vice-PI: PD Dr. J. Baade
Collaboration: PD Dr. G. Gleixner (MPI-BGC, Jena), PD Dr. J. Helmschrot (FSU Jena)
PI South Africa: Prof. Dr. Michael Meadows (UCT)
Duration of project: 07.04.2010 - 31.03.2012
Status: active
Financial support: International Bureau of the BMBF (DLR, Germany) and NRF (South Africa)
Grant: BMBF: SUA 09/010
Additional Jena researchers: G. Daut, T. Haberzettl, T. Kasper

Summary

The pilot study will contribute to a better understanding of climate and human-induced Late Pleistocene and Holocene environmental change in South Africa by investigating two selected wetlands in the Eastern and Western Cape Province. The reconstruction of local and regional environmental evolution will be based on a combination of a characterization of the present geo-ecological conditions in the catchment areas with detailed sedimentological, geochemical, palaeo-ecological and geo-chronological analysis of selected cores from the wetlands. Field work was conducted in 2010 and 2011 at the study sites at Wilderness in the Garden Route National Park (Western Cape) and the Rush Valley (north of Maclear, Eastern Cape).

Figure: Thomas Kasper presents the gravity core reclaimed from Eilandvlei, Wilderness, Nov. 2010
(Photo: J. Baade)

Student involvment

Four students were involved in the field and in the laboratory analysis in Jena and compiled their thesis based on this involvement:

• Clausnitzer, S. (2011): Bathymetrische und flachseismische Auswertung hydroakustischer Profile der Seen Eilandvlei, Rondevlei und Swartvlei im Garden Route National Park Wilderness Coastal Section, Südafrika. Unpublished Bachelor thesis, Institut für Geographie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena (Supervisors: Dr. G. Daut, Dr. T. Haberzettl).
• Bürger, C. (2011): Charakterisierung der Sedimenteinträge am Vankervelsvlei mit Hilfe der Korngrößenanalyse. Unpublished Bachelor thesis, Institut für Geographie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena (Supervisor: Dr. T. Haberzettl).
• Franz, S. (2012): Geochemische und sedimentologische Untersuchungen von Seesedimenten des Swartvlei zur Rekonstruktion der spätholozänen Landschaftsentwicklung im Garden Route National Park, Südafrika. Unpublished Master thesis, Institut für Geograhie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena (First supervisor: Dr. T. Haberzettl).
• Reinwarth, B. (2012): The sedimentary record of Eilandvlei, Wilderness coast area, South Africa. Unpublished Master thesis, Institut für Geographie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena (First supervisor: PD Dr. J. Baade).

Presentations

• Franz, S., B. Reinwarth, J. Baade, T. Haberzettl, S. Clausnitzer, G. Daut, T. Kasper, K. Kirsten, R. Mäusbacher, M. Meadows & L. Quick (2011): Late Holocene high resolution lake records from the Wilderness Coast, South Africa I: The Swartvlei. - Sediment 2011, 23-26 June 2011, Leipzig, Germany (poster presentation).
• Kirsten, K., J. Baade, L. Quick, S. Clausnitzer, S. Franz, B. Reinwarth, T. Kasper, G. Daut, T. Haberzettl, R. Mäusbacher & M. Meadows (2011): Reconstructing regional palaeo-ecology from the Wilderness Lake sediments, Southern Cape, South Africa. - XVIII INQUA Congress 2011, 21-27 July 2011, Bern, Switzerland (poster presentation).
• Reinwarth, B., S. Franz, T. Haberzettl, J. Baade, S. Clausnitzer, G. Daut, T. Kasper, K. Kirsten, R. Mäusbacher, M. Meadows & L. Quick (2011): Late Holocene high resolution records from the Wilderness Coast, South Africa II: The Eilandvlei. - Sediment 2011, 23-26 June 2011, Leipzig, Germany (poster presentation).
• Baade, J., B. Reinwarth, S. Franz, T. Haberzettl, G. Daut, K. Kirsten, L. Quick, M.E. Meadows & R. Mäusbacher (2012): Sediment reconnaissance survey of the Wilderness Lakes, Southern Cape coast, South Africa. - 2012 Biennial Congress South African Association of Geomorphologists (SAAG), 8-11 September 2012, Gobabeb, Namibia (poster presentation).
• Daut, G., S. Franz, K. Kirsten, B. Reinwarth, J. Baade, T. Haberzettl, T. Kasper, L. Quick, M.E. Meadows & R. Mäusbacher (2012): Late Holocene environmental change at the Wilderness coast, southern Cape, South Africa. - International Paleolimnology Symposium IPS2012, Glasgow, 21-24 August 2012, United Kingdom (poster presentation).
• Kirsten, K., M.E. Meadows, J. Baade, S. Franz, B. Reinwarth, T. Haberzettl & R. Mäusbacher (2012): Diatoms as indicators of climatic and limnological change in the Wilderness Embayment, southern Cape coast, South Africa. - 2012 Biennial Congress South African Society for Quaternary Research (SASQUA), 12-17 September 2012, Gobabeb, Namibia (oral presentation by K. Kirsten).
• Reinwarth, B., S. Franz, K. Kirsten, J. Baade, S. Clausnitzer, G. Daut, T. Haberzettl, T. Kasper, L. Quick, M. Meadows & R. Mäusbacher (2012): Estuarine and coastal lake sediment records of Late Holocene environmental change in the western Garden Route, South Africa. - AGU Chapman Conference on Hydrogeomorphic Feedbacks and Sea Level Rise in Tidal Freshwater River Ecosystems, 13-16 November 2012, Reston, Virginia, USA (poster presentation).
• Reinwarth, B., S. Franz, J. Baade, T. Haberzettl, T. Kasper, G. Daut, J. Helmschrot, K. Kirsten, L. Quick, M.E. Meadows & R. Mäusbacher (2013): A 700-year history of climate change and human impact on the southern Cape coast inferred from lake sediments of Eilandvlei, Wilderness Embayment, South Africa. - EGU General Assembly 2013, 7-12 April 2013, Vienna, Austria (poster presentation, abstract submitted).

Publications

• Reinwarth, B., S. Franz, J. Baade, T. Haberzettl, T. Kasper, G. Daut, J. Helmschrot, K. Kirsten, L. Quick, M.E. Meadows & R. Mäusbacher (accepted): A 700-year record on the effects of climate and human impact on the southern Cape coast inferred from lake sediments of Eilandvlei, Wilderness Embayment, South Africa. - Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography.

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