@article{DulanyaCroudaceReedetal.2014, author = {Dulanya, Zuze and Croudace, Ian and Reed, Jane M. and Trauth, Martin H.}, title = {Palaeolimnological reconstruction of recent environmental change in Lake Malombe (S. Malawi) using multiple proxies}, series = {Water SA}, volume = {40}, journal = {Water SA}, number = {4}, publisher = {Water Research Commission}, address = {Pretoria}, issn = {0378-4738}, doi = {10.4314/wsa.v40i4.17}, pages = {717 -- 727}, year = {2014}, 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 palaeoenvironmental reconstructions.}, language = {en} } @article{DulanyaReedTrauth2013, author = {Dulanya, Zuze and Reed, Jane M. and Trauth, Martin H.}, title = {Mapping changing shorelines in the Malombe and Chiuta lakes of Malawi-environmental effects of recent climatic variations}, series = {Catena : an interdisciplinary journal of soil science, hydrology, geomorphology focusing on geoecology and landscape evolution}, volume = {104}, journal = {Catena : an interdisciplinary journal of soil science, hydrology, geomorphology focusing on geoecology and landscape evolution}, number = {10}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0341-8162}, doi = {10.1016/j.catena.2012.10.016}, pages = {111 -- 119}, year = {2013}, abstract = {This study examines patterns of climate variability by mapping shoreline changes between 1973 and 2008 for two shallow lakes in Malawi, East Africa. Multi-temporal LANDSAT data covering eight different years within the period of investigation were utilised for lake-area mapping, using image classification techniques. The approach was verified using simple comparisons with local rainfall data and satellite altimetry data. Results indicated that the lake areas varied between the different years investigated and that, although the lakes were affected by the same climate-forcing mechanisms, the individual basin characteristics had a critical effect on their responses. The most likely drivers for the climate-related shoreline variations are the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), causing synchronous changes to the water levels in both lakes, albeit showing differences in climate signal amplification.}, language = {en} }