Vegetated Shore from Kipili, Tanganyika, Tanzania

Environment

Environment

Affected by human activity

Affected by human activity

Deforestation

Deforestation

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Surrounding area

BIN is situated in the shoreline of Kipili. It is in the entrance of a bay which is occupied by human for several purposes. There are islands near, and human occupies some. Before water body surrounding area has enough large plain area that can be settled by humans, then hills and mountains start. The tough surrounding area is a forestry area, as a result of human settlements some part of trees is cut down.

When we further go up towards hills, we can see forests. The ground is stony and mostly covered with grassy plants. Human activities in the surrounding area are affecting underwater life. Two seasons can be seen on the region, and they are wet season which is between October and April with high precipitation, thunderstorms and dry season which is from May until the end of August with continuous winds and little precipitation. Ref. (Bib.2,Sit. 8-10,16,19,20,22)

Underwater landscape

BIN is a part of Kipili shoreline which is stayed underwater by a rise of water level and not deeper than 1.5 meters. As usual in Tanganyika coastline, the extension of the surrounding area goes on with same structure to inside Lake in here too, but unlike identified and known shallow rocky/stony shoreline habitats of Lake, reeds, fragments of dead grassy plants and a chopped tree root exist in this habitat. The bottom is covered with a mixed type (mostly roundish) of middle-sized, different coloured stones and it is occupied by reeds (Phragmites australisis) roots or branches; therefore sand is rarely seen in habitat. Decayed organisms of the surrounding area create the perfect nutritive environment for reeds and other species, so in this habitat, lots of different species can be seen which come for feeding. Because of being situated in a bay, waves are generally weak, this causes demersal area stay stable so species can compete for food and reeds can grow up easily, but weak waves also serve mid-level of sedimentation. Colour of the water is changed by the time of the day as blue or green. Even though anthropogenic pollution affects the quality of water, however, visibility is still in a high level. Due to the mentioned water quality, habitat is highly vegetated with Phragmites australisis but to avoid the danger of camouflaging crocodiles residents chop the reeds. Ref.(Bib.1,2,Sit.8-12,19,20,22)

Cichlidae:

• Altolamprologus compressiceps
• Chalinochromis cyanophleps
• Chalinochromis sp. bifernatus
• Cunningtonia longiventralis
• Cyathopharynx foae
• Eretmodus cyanostictus
• Lamprologus callipterus
• Lamprologus lemairii
• Haplotaxodon microlepis
• Haplotaxodon trifasciatus
• Lepidiolamprologus elongatus
• Lepidiolamprologus kamambae
• Lepidiolamprologus mimicus
• Lepidiolamprologus profundicola
• Neolamprologus furcifer
• Neolamprologus sexfasciatus
• Neolamprologus tetracanthus
• Neolamprologus timidus
• Ophthalmotilapia nasuta
• Ophthalmotilapia ventralis
• Perissodus microlepis
• Perissodus paradoxus
• Perissodus straeleni
• Petrochromis ephippium
• Petrochromis famula
• Petrochromis polyodon
• Petrochromis sp. kipili brown
• Petrochromis sp.macrognathus rainbow
• Petrochromis sp.texas blue
• Telmatochromis dhonti
• Telmatochromis vittatus
• Tropheus brichardi ulwile
• Tropheus brichardi kipili
• Xenotilapia nasus
• Xenotilapia papilio sunflower

Wetland plant:

• Phragmites australis

Threats to ecology

Humans settle some parts in the coastline of Lake Tanganyika for the fishery, agriculture, industry and tourism. Approximately one million population is living around the Lake Tanganyika area. The protein source of the inhabitants of this region is mainly the aquatic organisms in the Lake. The dense human population in the shoreline of Lake causes anthropogenic and industrial wastes, deforestation of lands and overfishing. Pollutants and rising erosion are affecting underwater life in different ways such as decreased water quality, sedimentation in the narrow habitable zone for species and development of invasive plants. The climate change, uncontrolled overfishing and the other human-based problems are adverse effects for the underwater life of Lake. Because of these unfavorable impacts, biodiversity is diminishing and development of plankton which are nutritive foods for many fish species is slowing down in the Lake. People living around the Lake should be educated about sustainable fishing practices. Besides, legal regulations on deforestation and control measures for industrial facilities should be taken for the future of the Lake. Ref (Sit.13,14,22)

Riparian zone

Trees near the aquatic habitat

Few - Phragmites australis

Bibliography

• Cichlid in Their Natural Habitat. 4th Edition, Cichlidpress, 2019 El Paso Tx. by Konings, A
  
• → Journal of Zoology 90(4):507 - 622 - 32. The Fauna of the African Lakes: a Study in Comparative Limnology with special reference to Tanganyika by William A. Cunnington
  
• → Journal of Great Lakes Research - The taxonomic diversity of the cichlid fish fauna of ancient Lake Tanganyika, East Africa by FabriziaRonco et al.
  
• → International Journal of Biodiversity / 2013 - Fish Diversity and Abundance of Lake Tanganyika: Comparison between Protected Area (Mahale Mountains National Park) and Unprotected Areas by Emmanuel A. Sweke et al.
  
• → GEF - Guide to some invasive plants affecting Lake Tanganyika by Esther Abonyo and Geoffrey Howard
  

Sitography

Comment by the expert