Dendrochronology in Namibia: A Review

Abstract

More than 64% of Namibia's land is occupied by the savanna ecosystems which are vulnerable to climate change and variability. These ecosystems partly consist of forest ecosystem patches which are prime sources of many livelihoods in the country. The effects of climate change are likely to drive the majority of the country's population to poverty if these resources are not sustainably managed. Therefore an understanding of forest dynamics and their responses to climate is important. Dendrochronology is a study that provides time-series data of climate change and variability, and the responses of trees to such changes. The data are used to reconstruct past events of climate and also to forecast possibilities. Dendrochronological studies have been carried out in Namibia, however, a review of such studies is lacking. This study thus aimed at closing this gap and carried out a literature review on the dendrochronological studies in Namibia. The review showed that the field of dendrochronology is relatively new and has been less applied in Namibia. There is a need for further dendrochronological studies in order to understand how the country can adapt better under the current and forecasted climate regimes. A focus on the marginal forests, encroachers and trees that are of indigenous use, is recommended. In cases of the absence of clear ring formation, which might be the case in arid to hyper arid, the use of staple isotopes is recommended.