TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES x
LIST OF FIGURES xi
LIST OF FIGURES xi
LIST OF ANNEXES xii
I. Introduction 1
1.1 Background 1
1.3 Hypotheses 6
1.4 Objectives 7
II. Materials and Methods 8
2.1 Study area 8
2.1.1 Land and water use in the communal Lands 13
2.1.2 Land and water use in the National Park 15
2.2 Data collection 16
2.2.1 Plankton samples 16
2.2.2 Physical and chemical data 16
2.2.3 Water samples 18
2.3 Data analysis 19
III. Results 20
3.1 Land and water use in the area 20
3.2 Water quality 22
3.3 Plankton community composition 23
3.3.1 Phytoplankton 23
3.1.2 Zooplankton 28
3.1.3 Overall plankton abundance 33
3.1.4 Relationships between physico-chemical parameters and
plankton species in
the studied reservoirs 35
IV. Discussion 38
4.1 Water quality aspects, land and water use 38
4.2 Plankton commun ity composition, divers ity and abundance
in relation to
land and water use 40
4.2.1 Seasonal variation in plankton diversity and abundance
40
4.2.2 Plankton composition 42
4.2.3 Study limitations 44
4.2.4 Management implications 45
V. Conclusion 46
VI. References 47
Annexes Error! Bookmark flot defifled.
LIST OF TABLES
Table 2.1. Limpopo basin: areas and rainfall by country 9
Table 2.2. Some characteristics of small reservoir the studied
reservoirs in the communal
lands, Insiza district, Zimbabwe. 13
Table 2.3. Rainfall
pattern in Filabusi district and Sibasa village area during 2004/2005
(Insiza District) 14
Table 3.1. Littoral soil samples Color,
pH and Electro conductivity (uS/cm), water colour
and littoral vegetation score (estimated) 21
Table 3.2. Texture of soils around the studied small reservoirs
21
Table 3.3 Water quality of the studied reservoirs (for April 2005
samples) 22
Table 3.4. Composition and density (ind. l-1) of the
phytoplankton in eight reservoirs
located on communal lands and National Park in rural Zimbabwe.
24
Table 3.5. Phytoplankton diversity: number of taxa recorded in
the study area 25
Table 3.6. Simpson's diversity index calculated on February and
April samples 26
Table 3.7. Abundance of major groups for February samples (no.
l-1) 26
Table 3.8. Abundance of major groups for April samples (ind.
l-1) 27
Table 3.9. Abundance of zooplankton (no.l-1) for the
samples of February and April 29
Table 3.10. Abundance of major zooplankton groups/February 31
Table 3.11. Abundance of major zooplankton groups /April 31
LIST OF FIGURES
Fig. 2.1. Map of the Limpopo basin (from Encarta library 2003)
9
Fig 2. 2. Map of Zimbabwe (from Encarta Library 2003) 10
Fig. 2. 3. Map of the Mzingwane Catchment (Limpopo basin in
Zimbabwe) 10
Fig 2.4. Location of the study sites 12
Fig.2.5 Location of reservoirs in the Mzingwane catchment 12
Fig 3.1 Abundance of major groups in February 28
Fig. 3.2 Abundance of major groups in April 28
Fig. 3.3. Zooplankton species distribution and abundance (numbers
of zooplankton per litre in the right) among the 8 reservoirs/ February
30
Fig. 3.4. Zooplankton species distribution and abundance (numbers of
zooplankton per
litre in right) among the reservoirs/ April 31
Fig. 3.6 Abundance of zooplankton major groups in the study area
33
Fig. 3.9 Clustering of stations according to the overall plankton
abundance/ February 34
Fig. 3.10 Clustering of stations according to the overall
plankton abundance/ April 35
Fig. 3.11 Relationship between chemistry and zooplankton in the
studied reservoirs 36
Fig. 3.12 Relationship between chemistry and phytoplankton in the
studied reservoirs 37
LIST OF ANNEXES
Annex 1. Fig. A to F: A. Whitish color of Sibasa reservoir
waters; B. Algal bloom in Chitampa reservoir; C. Sibasa reservoir; D. Mpopoma
reservoir; E. Maleme reservoir dam wall; F. Dewa reservoir Error!
Bookmark not defined.
Annex 2. Fig. G-H-I-J: Littoral and floating dominant
vegetation in Mezilume reservoir. G: Polygonum sp., H. Numpheae
sp, Cyperus sp. and Ceratophyllum sp.; I:
Myriophyllum sp. and J. Numphaea sp. Error! Bookmark
not defined.
Annex 3. Fig. K-P. Examples of phytoplankton taxa identified.
K: Rhizosolenia; L: Anabaena; M: Ceratium; N:
Pediastrum; O: Phacus; P: Micrasterias sp
Error! Bookmark not defined.
Annex 4. Fig. Q-V. Examples of Zooplankton taxa identified. Q:
the rotifer Brachionus sp.; R: the cladoceran Bosmina
sp.; S: a cladoceran (Daphnia???); T: the rotifer
Keratella sp.; U: the copepod Cyclops sp.;
V: the rotifer Keratella sp. Error! Bookmark not
defined.
Annex 5. Water colors influence. Analysis of variance
(combiapr.sta) Marked effects are
significant at p< 0.05) Error! Bookmark not
defined.
Annex 6. Influence of soil classes. Analysis of variance
(combiapr.sta) Marked effects
are significant at p< 0.05) Error! Bookmark not
defined.
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