A mean monthly temperature record is reconstructed for 50-year periods for Edinburgh, in the millenium 800-1900 AD. The development of a reliable record of past climate for Edinburgh and south-east Scotland permits the study of the significance of past climatic change on humans in these regions. First, the possible influence of climate on agriculture is investigated over the last 800 years. Specifically, a replication study of M.L. Parry's (1972) classic thesis, 'Changes in the Upper Limit of Cultivation in South-East Scotland: 1600-1900 AD', is undertaken. Second, the possible influence of climate on disease is investigated. The diseases covered include the bubonic plague, malaria, and ergotism. Finally, the new mean monthly temperature record for Edinburgh is used as an historical analogue for possible greenhouse-gas induced warming in south-east Scotland. Because the record is sufficiently detailed, the possible influence of the predicted warming on agriculture and two communicable diseases, namely Lyme disease and Leptospirosis is investigated.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:649791 |
| Date | January 1993 |
| Creators | Duncan, Kirsty |
| Publisher | University of Edinburgh |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/1842/27956 |
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