Browsing by Author "Ligate, Elly J."

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2

Accumulation of SOC in relatively undisturbed tropical mountain foothills under climate change scenarios: the case of Uluguru mountain, Tanzania
(Saudi Society for Geosciences and Springer Nature Switzerland AG, 2023-07-01) Mkonda, Msafiri Y.; Minja, Gileard S.; Ligate, Elly J.; Kaganga, Laison S.; Haule, Tiemo R.; Msemwa, Ubaya S.
Soil nutrients form an important part of agro-ecosystems in various landscapes, including mountainous areas. Most foothills in tropical mountains are heterogeneous in terms of the accumulation of soil nutrients due climatic location and ecological endowments. Since most mountain foothills have potential for the provision of environmental services, it is imperative to assess the salient soil nutrients including carbon in order to determine the amount. This study assessed the accumulation of soil organic carbon (SOC) in the relatively undisturbed foothills of Uluguru Mountains whose geology indicates that they were formed during cretaceous age (i.e. ≈50 million years ago). The study also determined the trends of rainfall and temperature because these elements of climate have important influence on carbon accumulation. In conducting this study, we sampled Kiroka Village (in Kiroka Ward) because it is found at the foothills of the Uluguru Mountain and most of its parts are relatively undisturbed. In this place, sixteen soil sampling points were established within one hectare and these points involved two soil depths (i.e. 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm) and two locations (i.e. lowland and upland). The Walkley–Black Method was used for SOC analysis while Mann–Kendall Test was employed for climate data analysis. The results exhibit that there have been significant variations in SOC accumulation under the two soil depths and locations. In the lowland areas, SOC was 1.1 and 0.43 MgC ha −1 for the depths 0–20 cm and 20–40, respectively. Besides, in upland areas, SOC was 0.38 and 0.31 MgC ha −1 for the depths 0–20 cm and 20–40, respectively. Most cereal crops require a considerable amount of SOC in the soil that ranges between 0.5 and 2 MgC ha −1 . Additionally, the mean annual rainfall and temperature patterns from 1980 to 2020 declined and intensified at R2 = 0.15 and 0.19, respectively. Therefore, these results inform environmental experts, climate practitioners and other relevant stakeholders to endorse suitable and sustainable environmental management methods in the mountainous areas.
Rapid environmental flow assessment for sustainable water resource management in Tanzania’s Lower Rufiji River Basin: a scoping review
(Heliyon, 2023) Kimambo, Offoro N.; Mbungu, Winfred; Massawe, Goodluck D.; Hamad, Amina A.; Ligate, Elly J.
The use of Environmental flow (e-Flow) assessment is a widely adopted approach to facilitate informed decision-making concerning sustainable management and utilization of water resources in river systems. The Lower Rufiji River Basin faces various developmental pressures from several sectors, including hydropower, mining, agriculture, livestock, fishing, and tourism, necessitating effective management of the sub-catchment area to prevent significant environmental impacts. Consequently, it is essential to acquire a comprehensive comprehension of the catchment’s at tributes, encompassing both climatic and non-climatic factors. Supported by e-Flow batch anal ysis of the available data at Stiegler’s Gorge using the global environmental flow calculator, a scoping review was conducted to determine the status of environmental flow in the lower Rufiji River basin. The findings suggest that, while there has been progress in understanding eFlow estimation, limited data and ecohydrological processes’ poor comprehension still present chal lenges. Hydrological and holistic methodologies are commonly employed in Tanzania; however, uncertainties remain, raising questions concerning trust between decision-making tools and water resource utilization by the public. Climate variability influences e-Flow in the Rufiji River Basin, and the projections under various scenarios indicate an increased temperature, varying rainfall, and humidity levels. Further, the area has been identified as a vulnerable “hotspot” where communities face greater climate stressor risks. With the existing and planned developmental projects in the basin, including hydroelectric dams, mining, agriculture, livestock, and fisheries, it is critical to assess e-Flow in the Lower Rufiji River basin to ensure resource sustainability. Advocating for preserving a dynamic environmental flow regime in rivers is recommended, considering the Rufiji River Basin’s habitat connectivity. The future research direction should be quantifying the contribution of base flow to the surface flow, and salinity dynamics in the Lower Rufiji River Basin, which can affect the Delta’s biodiversity.