Doctoral Dissertation Research: Vegetation Change and Land Degradation in the Lake Baringo Ecosystem, Kenya, East Africa: Evidence from the Paleorecord.

孢粉学是一个有用的工具，重建环境变化，由于自然和人为原因，在地质和历史时期。 该项目将通过检查湖泊沉积物岩芯中的化石花粉、植硅体和微观木炭，研究全新世期间东非肯尼亚Baringo湖生态系统的植被变化和土地退化历史。 巴林戈湖生态系统是500多种鸟类的重要栖息地，也是人类的生计来源，但由于东非人口压力不断增加，该生态系统受到土地退化的威胁。 虽然一些研究利用花粉重建东非的古植被和古气候，但很少有孢粉学研究侧重于土地退化或荒漠化，这被认为是非洲最严重的环境问题之一。 研究人员将前往肯尼亚，从巴林戈湖收集一系列长短岩心和表面沉积物样本。 这些岩心和地表样本将产生一个扩展的年表，并提供有关这个大湖内花粉沉积和沉积速率的空间变化的信息。 这项研究的一个关键目标是确定最近土地使用的变化和土地退化的加剧如何反映在湖泊沉积物记录中。 研究人员将分析沉积物地层学，微观木炭，花粉和植硅石组合，以记录土地退化，气候和植被变化的历史，以及巴林戈湖生态系统中火灾状况的变化。 已经获得了湖泊集水区的卫星图像，为了提高分类的准确性，将在实地工作中获得全球定位系统点，以进行地面实况调查。 这项研究将产生一个高分辨率的全新世花粉记录，来自肯尼亚的半干旱地区，也是东非少数几个地区之一。 它将有助于了解全新世晚期东非一个关键环境区环境变化的自然原因和人为原因的作用。 其研究结果将对东非半干旱地区的生物多样性保护、湖泊恢复、土地使用规划和环境管理产生重大的政策影响。

Palynology is a useful tool for the reconstruction of environmental changes due to both natural and anthropogenic causes during geological and historical times. This project will study the history of vegetational changes and land degradation in the Lake Baringo ecosystem, Kenya, East Africa, during the Holocene through the examination of fossil pollen, phytoliths, and microscopic charcoal in lake-sediment cores. The Lake Baringo ecosystem, a critical habitat for more than 500 avifaunal species and a source of livelihood for humans, is threatened by land degradation as a result of mounting population pressure in East Africa. Although some studies have used pollen to reconstruct the paleovegetation and paleoclimate of East Africa, very few palynological studies have focused on land degradation or desertification, considered one of the most serious environmental problems in Africa. The researchers will travel to Kenya and collect a series of long and short cores and surface sediment samples from Lake Baringo. These cores and surface samples will yield an extended chronology and also provide information on the spatial variations of pollen deposition and sedimentation rates within this large lake. A key objective of the research is to determine how recent changes in land-use and increased land degradation are reflected in the lake-sediment records. The researchers will analyze the sediment stratigraphy, microscopic charcoal, and pollen and phytolith assemblages to document the history of land degradation, climatic and vegetational changes, and variations in fire regimes in the Lake Baringo ecosystem. Satellite imageries of the lake catchment area have been obtained and, to enhance accuracy in classification, GPS points will be obtained during fieldwork for ground truthing. The study will produce a high-resolution Holocene pollen record from the semi-arid region of Kenya and one of only a handful from East Africa in general. It will contribute to knowledge on the role of natural versus anthropogenic causes for environmental changes in a critical environmental zone in East Africa during the late Holocene. Its findings will have significant policy implications on the conservation of biodiversity, lake restoration, land-use planning, and environmental management in the semi-arid regions of East Africa.