Diatom evidence for the timing and causes of eutrophication in lake victoria, east africa

J. Curt Stager, Robert E. Hecky, Dustin Grzesik, Brian F. Cumming, Hedy Kling

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

42 Scopus citations

Abstract

The determination of the history and causes of recent eutrophication and intensified thermal stratification in Lake Victoria is still hampered by the sparsity of paleolimnologic coverage of the enormous lake. Five new diatom records from Ugandan waters now show that a transition fromAulacoseira-dominated planktonic assemblages to those dominated by long Nitzschia spp., occurred in northern coastal sites from the mid-1970s to mid-1980s. Similar transitions developed from the late 1960s to early 1970s offshore and from the 1940s to early 1950s along the Kenyan coast, suggesting a time-transgressive process. These changes are not readily attributable to the trophic effects of Nile perch population growth during the early 1980s, but more likely reflect responses to long-term nutrient enrichment and climatic instability in the region. The diversity of planktonic diatom communities has declined dramatically, and a namesake variety of Aulacoseira nyassensis may now be nearly extirpated. Although local phytoplankton communities varied considerably in the past, the current domination of diatom assemblages by Nitzschia is apparently unprecedented in the 15,000-year history of Lake Victoria.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)463-478
Number of pages16
JournalHydrobiologia
Volume636
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2009

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Acknowledgments Financial support for this project was provided by grants from the National Science Foundation (Earth Systems History; ATM-9808972, ATM-01117170), and by Paul Smith’s College. Undergraduates S. Haddam, C. Heimiller, and K. Przywara assisted with coring and subsampling in the field. Special thanks to FIRI-Jinja, the International Center for Research in Agroforestry, R. Ogutu-Ohwayo, C. Ong, Paul Smith’s College, M. Walsh, and K. Watkins for providing financial and logistical support and research permission in Uganda and Kenya. Wind data were provided by Greg Silsbe and Jeppe Kolding, and K. Johnson assisted with the figures.

Publisher Copyright:
© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009

Copyright:
Copyright 2015 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Africa
  • Diatoms
  • Eutrophication
  • Lake Victoria
  • Paleolimnology

Continental Scientific Drilling Facility tags

  • LIAF

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