Michael Schagerl Editor Soda Lakes of East Africa Soda Lakes of East Africa

Michael Schagerl Editor Soda Lakes of East Africa Soda Lakes of East Africa . Michael Schagerl Editor Soda Lakes of East Africa Editor Michael Schagerl Department of Limnology and Bio-Oceanography University of Vienna Vienna Austria ISBN 978-3-319-28620-4 ISBN 978-3-319-28622-8 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-28622-8 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016949068 # Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper This Springer imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland Preface It was around 16 years ago, when I got the opportunity to take my first small steps in Kenya. I remember so well the flurry of excitement for this “unknown” continent and my first visit to Baringo/Bogoria. After fortifying myself with the traditional foods Njama Joma and Samaki, I put on my sandals for night sampling because of the hot temperatures, but was fortu- nately stopped just in time by a local resident who carefully lifted up stones and showed me—the “mzungu” (Swahili word for white people)—some scorpions and dangerous centipedes. On the next day, we travelled to Bogoria, and an astounding new world opened itself up to me: heat, geysers, hundreds of thousands of flamingos, the characteristic pungent smell of the soda lake, the soapy water, and an incredibly vast amount of the cyanoprokaryote Arthrospira. This switched a button in me and I decided on the spot to focus on these astonishing systems. I am quite sure that I share this experience with the authors of this book. It is a privilege to work in systems where tourists spend their holidays, and we scientists are often envied for our workplaces. Of course, unforgettable moments are inseparably linked to such sites, but we also face a wide range of challenges and hardships. Very basic accommodations, heat, wild and dangerous animals, bad roads with terrible traffic, and frequent power cuts impede the exhausting field work. Not to mention getting our equipment and instruments from our home universities to their deployment sites. These hurdles are part of the game, but they are far outweighed by the highly interesting systems and their organisms, by the incredible scenery, and by new friendships. I hope that the contributions of this book prompt the spark to leap over to you readers. Without my colleagues, all of them renowned authorities in their fields, such a book would have never been possible. I am deeply indebted to them for their patience, for sharing knowledge and investing their valuable time in this book project, and for finding a way to deal with my many inquiries and special requests. I am greatly obliged to many reviewers, who helped further shape the contributions. They are (in alphabetical order): Janine Adams, Bertram Boehrer, Jens Boenigk, Margaret Brock, Paul Antony Chakkiath, Gudrun De Boeck, Pawan K Dadheech, Jenny A Day, Genoveva F. Esteban, Bland J. Finlay, Franz Jirsa, Thomas C Johnson, Elizabeth Kebede Westhead, Noha M. Mesbah, Paul Oberholster, Eric Odada, Aharon Oren, v vi Preface Judit Padisa´k, Friedrich Schiemer, Manfred Strecker, Petra Sumasgutner, Dirk Verschuren Johann Waringer, and 4 anonymous reviewers. Ulrike Stricker-Komba and Stephan Klapp (both Springer publishing house) took very personal care of the book project, my daughter Hannah provided some beautiful graphs, Barbara Ma¨hnert checked for typing errors, edited hundreds of references, and compiled the indices, and Michael Stachowitsch completed the “production chain” with professional copy-editing. As common for scientific publications, the authors and reviewers provided their knowledge and time for free. The royalties of the editor are being fully donated for Africa projects to MSF Medecins Sans Frontieres (Arzte€ ohne Grenzen), who daily risk their lives helping others. Although travels to remote areas are always linked to risks, our families allowed us to pursue our vocations. They enabled us to live our dreams and, therefore, I dedicate this book to the families of all authors. May this book, like all wonderful ecosystems, be much more than the sum of its parts. December 2015 Michael Schagerl Preface vii Challenges. (a) corruption; (b) long discussions with ethnic groups for sampling permission; (c) electrical connections and power failures; (d) sometimes local food; (e, f) dangerous animals; (g) bad roads and quicksand; (h) very basic accommodations viii Preface Unforgettable moments. (a, b) stunning landscapes; (c, d, e) dipping into other cultures; (f, g) hospitality; (h) friendship; (i) Buna (Ethiopian coffee) in a street stall during a sampling trip and (j) Tusker baridi (cold beer) after a long and hard field trip Contents Part I Genesis, Physics and Chemistry 1 Dipping into the Soda Lakes of East Africa .............. 3 Michael Schagerl and Robin W. Renaut 2 Genesis of the East African Rift System ................. 25 Giday WoldeGabriel, Daniel Olago, Edwin Dindi, and Mike Owor 3 Morphometry and Physical Processes of East African Soda Lakes ........................................... 61 John M. Melack and Sally MacIntyre 4 Geochemistry of African Soda Lakes ................... 77 Daniel M. Deocampo and Robin W. Renaut Part II Organisms and Their Interactions 5 Bacteria, Archaea and Viruses of Soda Lakes ............ 97 William D. Grant and Brian E. Jones 6 Tiny and Tough: Microphytes of East African Soda Lakes ... 149 Lothar Krienitz and Michael Schagerl 7 The Protozoa of Soda Lakes in East Africa .............. 179 Andrew W. Yasindi and William D. Taylor 8 Invertebrates of East African Soda Lakes ............... 205 Seyoum Mengistou 9 Fish Populations in East African Saline Lakes ............ 227 Geraldine D. Kavembe, Axel Meyer, and Chris M. Wood 10 Lesser Flamingo as a Central Element of the East African Avifauna ........................................ 259 Lothar Krienitz, Barbara Ma¨hnert, and Michael Schagerl 11 Vascular Plants in Eastern Africa Rift Valley Saline Wetlands ........................................ 285 Julius Kipkemboi ix x Contents 12 The Ecology of African Soda Lakes: Driven by Variable and Extreme Conditions ............................ 295 Michael Schagerl and Alfred Burian Part III Utilization, Threats and Conservation 13 An Underexplored Resource for Biotechnology: Selected Microphytes of East African Soda Lakes and Adjacent Waters ............................... 323 Lothar Krienitz, Christina Bock, Pawan K. Dadheech, Kiplagat Kotut, Wei Luo, and Michael Schagerl 14 Conservation and Management of East Africa’s Soda Lakes ....................................... 345 David M. Harper, Emma Tebbs, Olivia Bell, and Victoria J. Robinson 15 Soda Lakes of the East African Rift System: The Past, the Present and the Future .......................... 365 Steve Omondi Oduor and Kiplagat Kotut Appendix: Lakes of the East African Rift System ............. 375 Taxonomy Index ...................................... 379 Subject Index ........................................ 391 List of Contributors Bock, Christina (1), Department of Biodiversity, University of Duisburg- Essen, Universita¨tsstraße 5, 45141 Essen, Germany, E-Mail: christina. [email protected] Bell, Olivia (2), Department of Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK, E-Mail: [email protected] Burian, Alfred (3), Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden, E-Mail: fl[email protected] Dadheech, Pawan K. (4), Department of Microbiology, Central University of Rajasthan, NH 8, Bandar Sindri, 305817 Ajmer, Rajasthan, India, E-Mail: [email protected] Deocampo, Dan M. (5), Department of Geosciences, Georgia State University, 33 Gilmer Street SE, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, E-Mail: [email protected] Dindi, Edwin (6), Department of Geology, University of Nairobi, Chiromo Campus, Riverside Drive, PO Box 30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya, Africa, E-Mail: [email protected] Grant, William D. (7), Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK, E-Mail: [email protected] Harper, David M. (8), Emeritus Professor in Limnology, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK; Director Aquatic Ecosystem Services Ltd (UK); Affiliated Researcher, Department of Zoology, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya, E-Mail: [email protected] Jones, Brian E. (9), formerly: DuPont Industrial Biosciences/Genencor Interna- tional BV, Leiden 2333CN, The Netherlands, E-Mail:

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