Affiliation:
1. University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
2. University of Ibadan, Nigeria
3. Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Abstract
The environmental history of parts of the Lagos lagoon during the Late Holocene was reconstructed based on the palynological analyses of a 51cm sediment core retrieved from Itokin, Lagos, Nigeria. Three phases (I-III) of environmental changes, beginning from 1480±30 BP, were recognized. The inferred environmental changes were characterized by the mangrove swamp forests, freshwater swamp forests, and open vegetation in varied proportions and accompanied by conditions that fluctuated between wet and dry climates. The pollen evidence reveals that the Itokin landscape has remained open since the last 1500 yrs BP, dominated by open vegetation and freshwater swamp elements. The mangrove swamp forest decreased at some point but recovered. In contrast, the rainforest remained low in occurrence throughout the core. The drivers of these environmental changes and their ecological implications are highlighted.
Reference52 articles.
1. Mangroves in Nigeria. Technical Report of the Project Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Mangrove Forests in Latin America and Africa Regions.;O. J.Adegbehin;International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems,1993
2. Palynological Analysis of Late Holocene Sediments and its Paleoenvironmental Interpretations from Lagos Coastal Environment, Southwestern Nigeria
3. Palaeoecological studies of quaternary sediments from the University of Lagos, Nigeria
4. Mangrove biodiversity in the restoration and sustainability of the Nigerian natural environment.;O. H.Adekanmbi;Journal of Ecology and the Natural Environment,2009
5. The age of Niger Delta sediments inferred from palynological evidence.;O. H.Adekanmbi;Bulletin of Pure and Applied Sciences,2006