The Rano Kau 2 Pollen Diagram: Palaeoecology Revealed
| dc.contributor.author | Butler, K.R. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Flenley, J.R. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-11-12T22:21:38Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2010-05-01 | |
| dc.description.abstract | OF THE THREE POTENTIAL SITES ON RAPA NUI for recovering a continuous palaeoecological record (Flenley et al.1991) Rano Kau has so far proved the best. Rano Raraku has a significant hiatus between 800 BP and c. 2000 BP (Mann et al.2008) and Rano Aroi has surface disturbance, as well as being above the altitude of likely early inhabitants. Rano Kau, however, offered a favorable microclimate for tropical crops (van Steenis 1935), a permanent water supply for early inhabitants, and a long continuous pollen record. Rano Kau core 1, collected in 1977 near the edge of the swamp, yielded a record spanning only just over a millennium. Rano Kau 2, collected in 1977 and near the centre of the caldera, however, has given a continuous record for the last 10 millenia. Initial problems with dating have now been resolved. Furthermore the position near the centre of Rano Kau is likely to give a more generalized record of the palaeoecology. We originally expected this to be an islandwide coverage, as predicted for the centre of large sites by Jacobsen and Bradshaw (1981). The caldera is, however, so deep (c. 200 metres), and the interior slopes so steep (c.30o), that the interior environment is almost windless, and rather isolated from the windy environment of the rest of the island. The result appears to be that each core taken reflects the vegetation on the nearest caldera slopes, with relatively less input than usual from the rest of the island or from long distance transported pollen. | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 1040-1385(Print) | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 2576-5469(ISSN) | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10524/64879 | |
| dc.subject | Easter Island | |
| dc.subject | Rapa Nui | |
| dc.title | The Rano Kau 2 Pollen Diagram: Palaeoecology Revealed | |
| dc.type | Article | |
| dc.type.dcmi | Text | |
| prism.number | 1 | |
| prism.volume | 24 |
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