Investigating the effects of rapid land-use change on the biodiversity of East African Rift Valley Lakes

东非大裂谷的湖泊是世界上最多样化的生态系统之一。从淡水到高盐，它们的水生环境的梯度提供了丰富的生物多样性，包括鳄鱼，河马和世界上最大的小火烈鸟种群。然而，这些湖泊正受到威胁。撒哈拉以南非洲不断增长的人口对湖泊及其集水区施加了更大的压力，土地利用的迅速变化使水质和水文过程退化。该地区面临的其他威胁包括入侵物种、有毒蓝藻繁殖和气候变化。鉴于裂谷在支持东非生态系统服务和生计方面发挥着至关重要的作用，必须了解这些威胁对裂谷生物多样性的影响。该项目将利用卫星遥感技术评估裂谷流域土地利用变化、外来树种刺槐入侵程度和蓝藻华动态。评估将与水鸟数量和渔业捕获量的信息以及陆生动物的生物声学数据相结合，以确定这些威胁对该区域生物多样性造成的影响。研究结果将为决策者提供未来裂谷湖泊集水区管理的宝贵信息。

East African Rift Valley lakes are some of the world's most diverse ecosystems. Ranging from freshwater to hypersaline, the gradient of aquatic environments they provide supports a wealth of biodiversity including crocodiles, hippos and the world's largest population of Lesser Flamingos. However, these lakes are under threat. Growing populations in SubSaharan Africa exert greater pressure on the lakes and their catchments, with rapid land-use change degrading both water quality and hydrological processes. Additional threats in the region include invasive species, toxic cyanobacterial blooms and a changing climate. The impact these threats are having on Rift Valley biodiversity must be understood, given the vital role it plays in supporting ecosystem services and livelihoods in East Africa. This project will use satellite remote sensing to assess land-use change, the invasion extent of the alien tree Prosopis juliflora and cyanobacterial bloom dynamics in Rift Valley catchments. Assessments will be combined with information about waterbird abundance and fisheries catch, as well as bioacoustic data for terrestrial fauna, to determine the impact these threats pose to biodiversity in the region. Results will provide invaluable information to policymakers for the future management of Rift Valley lake catchments.