REVEALS reconstruction of past vegetation cover, modern pollen and current vegetation data from Namibia

Understanding the resilience of African savannas to global change requires quantitative information on long-term vegetation dynamics. Here we present a reconstruction of past vegetation cover of the northern Namibian savanna obtained after applying the REVEALS model to fossil pollen data from Lake Otjikoto. We also present modern pollen and vegetation data used to calculate pollen productivity estimates for the major Namibian savanna taxa Acacia (Senegalia, Vachellia), Combretaceae, Dichrostachys, Grewia and Poaceae. Data were collected at 10 sites along a rainfall gradient in north central Namibia. Modern pollen was extracted from soil samples collected from plots at the different sites. Vegetation data were extracted from satellite images covering a 1.5 km radius from the plots where pollen was collected. The mean cover of the studied taxa was calculated by 100 m rings.