The dataset contains chemical analyses from the well-characterised Hakgala field site in the tropical Highlands of Sri Lanka. This site is located on a road cut between Nuwara Elia and Welimada (06.92923° N, 80.81834° E, 1753 m altitude), bordering a 12 km^2 natural forest reserve consisting of pristine, mature, stable upper montane rain forest, close to the Hakgala Botanical Garden. A deeply weathered regolith depth profile (ca. 10 m) developed on a hillslope underlain by charnockite bedrock. Adjacent to the regolith profile ecologically pristine catchments (>1 km^2) are drained by small creeks.Here, data on samples of all compartments of the Critical Zone (defined as the near surface layer of the Earth extending from the bottom of the weathering zone to the top of the tree canopy) are reported. The dataset compiles published (Hewawasam et al., 2013, GCA, 118, 202-230) and new data (Schuessler et al., 2018, Chemical Geology) of element concentrations, stable Mg isotopes, and radiogenic Sr isotope ratios on stream water (time series sampling 2010-2013), vegetation, soil, saprolite (depth profile sampling), weathered bedrock (corestones), and unweathered bedrock. From this data, weathering indicators such as the chemical depletion fraction (CDF) and the element mass transfer coefficients (Tau) were calculated and reported in the dataset.The samples used for these analyses have been assigned with International Geo Sample Numbers (IGSN, www.igsn.org). Details on sampling locations are provided via IGSN links in the tables and in the related work section on the DOI Landing Page at GFZ Data Services. Moreover, the IGSN data can be accessed by adding the IGSN after igsn.org, e.g. igsn.org/GFFB1003V. Further details on sampling and locations are provided in Hewawasam et al. (2013, GCA, 118, 202-230).This publication contains an annotated summary table serving as a supplementary table for Schuessler et al. (2018, Chemical Geology) in pdf and xlsx (Microsoft Excel) formats. In addition, separate tables reflecting differing samples and methodologies for input into statistical software are provided as comma separated files. Column headers for all tables are explained in a separate csv file (Data columns headers for tables S1 to S3.csv). The analytical methodologies used to generate the data are described in the data description file.
Forecasted change in precipitation may lead to an increase of biomass in area covered by savannah and to a consequent increase in biomass burning, affecting the carbon emissions at global scale. Understanding how tropical ecosystems will react to those changes is relevant particularly for East Africa, where population density is the highest of the continent. We generated high-resolution sediment charcoal data spanning the last 2000 years across a climatic gradient (wet to dry savannah) to assess the long-term impact of fire, climate and land use on tropical savannah ecosystems. Records of biomass burnings show contrasting fire pattern among the two regions. In wet savannah ecosystems, fire was limited by wetter periods until the colonial period (AD 1800), when biomass removal led to a decrease in burning. In contrast, in the dry setting of Kenya, fire conditions during the last 2k years peaked at intermediate rainfall, and increased in recent times following land use intensification. On the basis of our data we hypothesize that under a future scenario with increased rainfall fire will increase in the wet savannah and decrease in the (eastern) dry savannah, unless fuel will be limited by agriculture practices. Yet, it is not understood how important vegetation properties and ecosystem services such as plant biomass and diversity will respond to inter-annual to seasonal variation in the moisture balance, and how tropical species will cope with extreme events, such as droughts. The following proposal addresses highly relevant questions for todays key issues of biodiversity and the adaptation of vulnerable communities to global change. Additionally, it will contribute to ongoing multi-proxy research concerning the magnitude, frequency, and rates of past climate change in equatorial East Africa. Finally, the project will improve our understanding of tropical ecosystem functioning and its interaction with cultural and economic systems at local to regional scales.