The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Palaeolimnological reconstruction of recent environmental change in Lake Malombe (S. Malawi) using multiple proxies

Palaeolimnological reconstruction of recent environmental change in Lake Malombe (S. Malawi) using multiple proxies
Palaeolimnological reconstruction of recent environmental change in Lake Malombe (S. Malawi) using multiple proxies
Shallow inland water bodies in Malawi continue to be threatened by various environmental challenges despite their importance to the fisheries industry. Due to the complex interaction between natural and anthropogenic disturbances, disentangling the effect of the two may be a complicated process. The littoral zone of most water bodies is important in environmental reconstructions including pollution and lake level monitoring. This study used a littoral zone, transect-based approach employing multi-proxy palaeolimnological techniques to reconstruct recent environmental change (ca. 100 yrs.) in Lake Malombe in the Malawi Rift, East Africa. The results of the study could inform fisheries management in Lake Malombe, which experienced a catastrophic decline in fish stocks. Results support documentary evidence for the complete desiccation of the lake less than 100 years ago. Subsequently, there is evidence for accelerated eutrophication in the recent past. In light of these results, it is concluded that transect sampling approaches rather than relying on single core measurements, and the need for careful consideration of the types of proxy, are significant considerations in palaeo-environmental reconstructions.
littoral zone, palaeolimnology, diatoms, Lake Malombe
0378-4738
717-727
Dulanya, Z.
cc5962aa-a694-4bce-8861-10476069cea3
Croudace, I.
24deb068-d096-485e-8a23-a32b7a68afaf
Reed, J.M.
e8245db2-c54e-47b7-83ee-fcc3ae5ae20b
Trauth, M.H.
d3da81a1-e9b6-452f-9977-110ba94396b1
Dulanya, Z.
cc5962aa-a694-4bce-8861-10476069cea3
Croudace, I.
24deb068-d096-485e-8a23-a32b7a68afaf
Reed, J.M.
e8245db2-c54e-47b7-83ee-fcc3ae5ae20b
Trauth, M.H.
d3da81a1-e9b6-452f-9977-110ba94396b1

Dulanya, Z., Croudace, I., Reed, J.M. and Trauth, M.H. (2014) Palaeolimnological reconstruction of recent environmental change in Lake Malombe (S. Malawi) using multiple proxies. Water SA, 40 (4), 717-727. (doi:10.4314/wsa.v40i4.17).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Shallow inland water bodies in Malawi continue to be threatened by various environmental challenges despite their importance to the fisheries industry. Due to the complex interaction between natural and anthropogenic disturbances, disentangling the effect of the two may be a complicated process. The littoral zone of most water bodies is important in environmental reconstructions including pollution and lake level monitoring. This study used a littoral zone, transect-based approach employing multi-proxy palaeolimnological techniques to reconstruct recent environmental change (ca. 100 yrs.) in Lake Malombe in the Malawi Rift, East Africa. The results of the study could inform fisheries management in Lake Malombe, which experienced a catastrophic decline in fish stocks. Results support documentary evidence for the complete desiccation of the lake less than 100 years ago. Subsequently, there is evidence for accelerated eutrophication in the recent past. In light of these results, it is concluded that transect sampling approaches rather than relying on single core measurements, and the need for careful consideration of the types of proxy, are significant considerations in palaeo-environmental reconstructions.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: October 2014
Keywords: littoral zone, palaeolimnology, diatoms, Lake Malombe
Organisations: Geochemistry

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 373259
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/373259
ISSN: 0378-4738
PURE UUID: 789b09fb-9b19-4f2b-a0d6-e8d6f3e0e710

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 12 Jan 2015 13:54
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 18:50

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Z. Dulanya
Author: I. Croudace
Author: J.M. Reed
Author: M.H. Trauth

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×