The Application of Paleoenvironmental Research in Supporting Land Management Approaches and Conservation in South Africa

Abstract

Research into past environments and climates of South Africa has significantly grown in recent decades, owing to its rich archeological heritage and high biodiversity. The paleoscience community has worked toward an improved understanding of long-term climate and environmental dynamics, yet the application and dissemination of such information into the realm of conservation and land-use management have remained limited. In this chapter, we briefly explore the current state of paleoenvironmental research in South Africa, recent methodological advancements and potential applications of paleoresearch for natural resource management and conservation. We advocate for a more integrated research approach, bringing together the fields of ecology, ecosystem restoration, conservation biology and paleoecology, as an avenue toward tackling uncertainties in conservation and land-use management practices. We use a case study from the Kruger National Park, to demonstrate the benefits of incorporating a long-term perspective in understanding the natural variability and thresholds of an ecological system, and thereby inform more sound natural resource management strategies and conservation planning.