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Vegetation Response to Climatic Change in Central Rift Valley, Kenya

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Joseph Mworia Maitima
Joseph Mworia Maitima*
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27706, and Palynology Department, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658 Nairobi, Kenya
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Abstract

Pollen analysis of a 15.5-m sediment core from Lake Naivasha, central Rift Valley of Kenya, reveals that the vegetation from before 20,290 to nearly 12,000 yr B.P. was dominated by open grassland, indicating arid conditions. Within this period a moderately wetter climate existed between 17,000 and 15,000 yr B.P., shown by relatively slight increase in both the montane and lowland forest vegetation. From approximately 12,000 to 6500 yr B.P., a change toward more trees and forests started at lower altitudes around the basin of Lake Naivasha, and later in the higher montane regions. After 6000 yr B.P. a decline in forest and lowland trees opened the vegetation into more grasslands and by 4000 yr B.P. a vegetation similar to the present was attained and has persisted to the present. During this period shallow-water aquatic plants became abundant in Lake Naivasha.

Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 35 , Issue 2 , March 1991 , pp. 234 - 245
Copyright
University of Washington

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