Sammelbandbeitrag

Autorenliste: Masese, Frank O.; Wanderi, Elizabeth W.; Jacobs, Suzanne; Breuer, Lutz; Martius, Christopher; Rufino, Mariana

Erschienen in: Afrotropical Streams and Rivers

Herausgeberliste: Dalu, Tatenda; Masese, Frank O.

Jahr der Veröffentlichung: 2025

Seiten: 225-266

ISBN: 978-0-443-23898-7

eISBN: 978-0-443-23897-0

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-23898-7.00010-5

Abstract: 

The physicochemical conditions observed in streams and rivers result from intricate interactions among various factors, including underlying geology, soil composition, hydroclimatic characteristics (such as rainfall amount and duration), vegetation cover, and human activities. Although streams and rivers exhibit common traits globally, the distinctive features of Afrotropical rivers fundamentally modify their hydrological and physicochemical dynamics. Temperature fluctuations determined by elevation, climatic variations, and seasonal rainfall contribute to accelerated soil weathering and nutrient turnover, often surpassing rates observed in temperate and subtropical regions. In Afrotropical streams and rivers, physicochemical parameters are significantly influenced by the unique seasonal precipitation patterns and flow regimes, coupled with consistently high temperatures year-round. Furthermore, longitudinal (upstream–downstream) and latitudinal shifts in vegetation types, soil characteristics, and the abundance and diversity of large wildlife in savannah landscapes also play significant roles in shaping the physicochemical attributes of these water bodies. These changes are also confounded and driven by increasing human activities in the catchments of many rivers, such as increased water abstraction, damming, and land use change (e.g., grazing, agriculture, and urbanization). In this chapter, we first explore how key physicochemical parameters vary spatially and temporally in Afrotropical rivers, driven by large-scale and local-scale drivers. We then examine the factors affecting these parameters under natural conditions and human activities during dry and wet seasons. Through two case studies, we explore mesoscale patterns and water physicochemistry drivers, focusing first on land use and stream order (size) and then using long-term data to analyze concentration–discharge relationships of select physicochemical parameters in streams draining various land uses.

Harvard-Zitierstil: Masese, F., Wanderi, E., Jacobs, S., Breuer, L., Martius, C. and Rufino, M. (2025) The physicochemical environment, in Dalu, T. and Masese, F. (eds.) Afrotropical Streams and Rivers. Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 225-266. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-23898-7.00010-5

APA-Zitierstil: Masese, F., Wanderi, E., Jacobs, S., Breuer, L., Martius, C., & Rufino, M. (2025). The physicochemical environment. In Dalu, T., & Masese, F. (Eds.), Afrotropical Streams and Rivers (pp. 225-266). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-23898-7.00010-5