The Dead Forest of Chiefs Island: Soil Water Logging from Major Floods and Rainfalls Drive Rapid Vegetation Change in the Okavango Delta (Botswana)

IF 1.8 4区 环境科学与生态学 Q3 ECOLOGY
Marc Jolivet, Mike Murray-Hudson, Kaelo Makati, Olivier Dauteuil, Louis Gaudare
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The flood-controlled Okavango Delta in Botswana is an endoreic alluvial fan system developing within the arid to semi-arid Kalahari Desert. The Delta sustains a unique association of ecosystems, from rivers to floodplains, riverine forests to savanna forests. This complex environment is nearly pristine from anthropic activity but its preservation, especially in the face of global change, requires a detailed understanding of the functioning and evolution of its ecosystems. In this work we describe extensive tree dieback in the savanna forest of southern Chiefs Island, the largest permanently emerged island of the Delta. While tree dieback is generally linked to drought, extreme temperatures, fire or increased biotic attacks, we suggest that the destruction in the years 2009–2012 of the Acacia sp. and Colophospernum mopane dominated forest unexpectedly results from drowning through soil water logging associated to a series of successive exceptional floods and abundant rainfall seasons. This result highlights the necessity of transdisciplinary studies in understanding the autogenic functioning of the Delta as a prerequisite to describe the effects of global change.

Abstract Image

酋长岛的死亡森林:洪水和暴雨造成的土壤水分流失导致奥卡万戈三角洲(博茨瓦纳)植被迅速变化
博茨瓦纳受洪水控制的奥卡万戈三角洲是干旱至半干旱卡拉哈里沙漠中的一个内生冲积扇系统。从河流到冲积平原,从河流森林到热带稀树草原森林,三角洲保持着独特的生态系统组合。这一复杂的环境几乎不受人类活动的影响,但要保护它,特别是在全球变化的情况下,就必须详细了解其生态系统的功能和演变。在这项研究中,我们描述了三角洲最大的永久性出露岛屿--酋长岛南部稀树草原森林的大面积树木枯死现象。虽然树木枯死通常与干旱、极端温度、火灾或生物攻击加剧有关,但我们认为,2009-2012 年期间,以相思树和鹅掌楸为主的森林意外遭到破坏,原因是连续的特大洪水和充沛的降雨季节导致土壤水分涝死。这一结果凸显了跨学科研究在理解三角洲自生功能方面的必要性,这是描述全球变化影响的先决条件。
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来源期刊
Wetlands
Wetlands 环境科学-环境科学
CiteScore
4.00
自引率
10.00%
发文量
108
审稿时长
4.0 months
期刊介绍: Wetlands is an international journal concerned with all aspects of wetlands biology, ecology, hydrology, water chemistry, soil and sediment characteristics, management, and laws and regulations. The journal is published 6 times per year, with the goal of centralizing the publication of pioneering wetlands work that has otherwise been spread among a myriad of journals. Since wetlands research usually requires an interdisciplinary approach, the journal in not limited to specific disciplines but seeks manuscripts reporting research results from all relevant disciplines. Manuscripts focusing on management topics and regulatory considerations relevant to wetlands are also suitable. Submissions may be in the form of articles or short notes. Timely review articles will also be considered, but the subject and content should be discussed with the Editor-in-Chief (NDSU.wetlands.editor@ndsu.edu) prior to submission. All papers published in Wetlands are reviewed by two qualified peers, an Associate Editor, and the Editor-in-Chief prior to acceptance and publication. All papers must present new information, must be factual and original, and must not have been published elsewhere.
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