Browsing by Author "Ryken, Nick"

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    The impact of papyrus wetland encroachment on the spatial and temporal variability of stream flow and sediment export in the upper Rwizi catchment, Southwest Uganda
    (EGU General Assembly, 2014) Ryken, Nick; Vanmaercke, Matthias; Wanyama, Joshua; Deckers, Jozef; Isabirye, Moses; Poesen, Jean
    During the past 30 years, human activities in the Lake Victoria basin are responsible for eutrophication of Lake Victoria via sediment-bound nutrients. This affects food security for millions on people. Addressing this problem in this densely populated region will require adequate catchment management strategies. However, sediment yield and runoff data to develop such a strategy are currently unavailable. Also in general, sediment yields for catchments in tropical environments are very scarce, especially in East-Africa. Therefore, runoff discharge and sediment export measurements were conducted in the upper Rwizi, a representative catchment for the Lake Victoria basin which is located in Southwest Uganda. Land use in this catchment is characterized by grazing area on the high plateaus, banana cropping on the slopes and Cyperus papyrus L. wetlands in the river valleys. These papyrus wetlands are currently encroached and transformed into cropland. Eight subcatchments (99 km2 - 2120 km2), with different degrees of wetland encroachment, were monitored during the hydrological year June 2009 - May 2010.