Lakes Magadi (Kenya) and Manyara (Tanzania) occupy closed basins in the southern Gregory Rift valley. Water in these lakes is presently shallow and saline, testifying to the dominance of evaporation (E) over precipitation (P). Past changes in the P: E ratio, and hence in palaeoclimate, can be reconstructed from evidence of the former extent of these lakes. Lake-level fluctuations engender marked variation in water chemistry, and consequently on the composition of the limnological biota. One approach is to examine the sedimentary record of diatoms (unicellular algae), which are excellent indicators of water chemistry and relative water depth, and whose modem distribution is sufficiently well known to allow the quantitative reconstruction of chemical parameters. Diatom analysis of 116 samples from a series of radiometrically dated (14C and U/Ib) sediment cores has revealed significant changes amongst the diatom assemblages during the Late Quaternary. Conductivity and pH have been estimated from the fossil samples by transfer functions (Gasse unpublished, Gasse 1986b). However, the interpretation of fossil diatom assemblages is often problematical in hypersaline environments. Difficulties arise as a result of the operation of taphonomic and diagenetic processes which can severely alter the composition of the diatom assemblagesfr om the ambient population at the time of deposition. Probably the most important factor responsible for assemblage diagenesis in saline lakes is silica dissolution, and this is explored further by a series of laboratory experiments. Results indicate that silica dissolution acts differentially between species, by removing the smaller, more delicate taxa first, and causing the relative enrichment of large robust forms in the fossil samples. A similar dissolution gradient may be reflected in modem samples studied near hot springs at Magadi. Differential dissolution is potentially an important source of error in palaeoenvironmental reconstructions, but, with the outcome of these experiments, it has been possible to assess the extent to which the dissolution process may have shaped the diatom records from Magadi and Manyara. The bulk of the palaeolimnological evidence is focussed upon two periods, 30,000-20,000 BP and 12,700-9,500 BP. The earlier period is most clearly dated in the core from Manyara, where the diatom record suggests the development of an intermediate level lake between c. 27,500 BP and c. 26,000 BP. This is a more complete representation of the same lake phase found in earlier studies from Manyara by Holdship (1976) based on diatoms, and by Casanova (1986a) on stromatolites 20M above the present lake. This time interval may also be represented by the central portion of the Magadi cores NF1 and NF2 but here dating is more problematical. The period 12,700-9,500 BP was one of major lacustrine transgression across Africa although the fine-structure of this event is less well known. Cores NF1 and NF2 from Magadi provide a detailed register of this phase indicating a major highstand from c. 12,700-11,000 BP when the lake became deep enough to stratify and deposit laminated couplets. At c. 11,000 BP the diatoms show that salinity increased greatly from fresh-oligosaline to meso-hypersaline which was probably a consequence of lake level falling.

O estudo de três testemunhos rasos (até 2,5m de profundidade) coletados na região de Jaguaruna, litoral centro-sul de Santa Catarina, permitiu reconstituir parte da história de evolução sedimentar holocênica na área. Para isso, foi feita a análise integrada de quatro tipos de variáveis: sedimentológicas, diatomológicas, palinológicas e geoquímicas (Ctotal, Ntotal, 13C e 15N). Os dados de micropaleontologia foram tratados por métodos de estatística mutivariada (análise fatorial de correspondência, análise de componentes principais e classificação ascendente hierárquica), que evidenciaram agrupamentos significativos entre os microfósseis e, desse modo, auxiliaram nas interpretações. A ca. 5000 anos AP, a área de estudo deveria ser ocupada por um conjunto de lagunas interconectadas, cuja existência pôde ser atestada pelos sedimentos de fundo lagunar, na base de um dos testemunhos, em zona atualmente colonizada por mata de restinga. A ligação da laguna com o mar, nesta época, é verificada pela presença de diatomáceas marinhas e pelo sinal isotópico e elementar da matéria orgânica preservada nos sedimentos, indicativo de origem algácea, com valores de 13C de fitoplâncton marinho. A perda da conexão da laguna com o oceano ocorreu em diferentes momentos nos três testemunhos, sendo o último registro de desconexão da laguna observado a ca. 2740-2370 anos cal AP. Variações nas assembléis de diatomáceas no registro da fase lagunar (de 5500 até 2740-2370 anos cal AP) indicaram pelo menos dois períodos de mudanças maiores na salinidade da paleolaguna. Estes períodos puderam ser comparados a dados de paleoprecipitação, publicados em trabalhos anteriores, obtidos para o Estado de Santa Catarina. Observou-se boa correlação entre períodos com maior precipitação e períodos de diminuição na salinidade das águas da laguna, o que seria relacionado à sua diluição por maior aporte fluvial, sem excluir, no entanto, a possibilidade de menor influência marinha devido a dinâmica de abertura e fechamento das conexões da laguna com o oceano. O registro da vegetação através da analise palinológica auxiliou na elaboração do modelo evolutivo da área e permitiu reconstituir parte da história da vegetação no contexto de preenchimento da bacia lagunar. O desenvolvimento da vegetação de restinga em áreas antes ocupadas por vegetação característica de borda lagunar reforçaria a idéia de progradação das fácies costeiras assoreando por completo a paleolaguna na área. A síntese dos dados palinológicos entre os três testemunhos permite interpretar que, pelo menos desde 4000 anos cal AP, a vegetação na área de estudo não sofreu grandes modificações, o que sugere clima semelhante ao presente. A análise integrada dos diferentes indicadores paloambientais sugere que a dinâmica sedimentar deve ser a maior responsável pelas mudanças observadas nos três testemunhos, com evolução dos ecossistemas ligada, principalmente, a variações no regime e substrato deposicionais, relacionadas à progradação costeira. / Sediments from three cores collected in Jaguaruna (south Brazilian coast, Santa Catarina state) were analyzed, in order to reconstruct the Holocene sedimentary evolution of the area. The palaeoenvironmental reconstruction was based on microfossil proxies (diatoms, pollen and spores), analysis of sedimentary organic matter (13C, 15N and C/N ratios), and sedimentological analysis. From at least 5000 cal yr AP, the site was occupied by a system of interconnected lagoons, whose existence is verified in the core sediments by the record of paleolagoon sediments in area occupied by restinga forest nowadays. The existence of this lagoon and of its connection with the sea is indicated by the presence of marine diatoms and by the isotopic and elementary composition of the sedimentary organic matter, which is indicative of algal origin, with 13C values of marine phytoplankton. The end of the connection between sea and lagoon was registered in different moments in the three cores and the last record of disconnection is found in ca. 2740-2370 cal yr AP. The variations of the diatom assemblages from the lagoonal phase (between 5000 and 2740-2370 cal yr AP) indicated at least two periods of major changes in the paleolagoon salinity. These periods could be compared with the published paleoprecipitation data for the Santa Catarina state, which showed a good correlation between higher precipitation and reduction in the lagoon water salinity. This correlation would be related to dilution of water salinity by the greater fluvial discharges. However, it can not be exclude the possibility of a lower sea influence related with the dynamics of opening and closing connections between lagoon and ocean. The pollen analysis allowed the reconstruction of part of the vegetation history in the context of lagoon basin sedimentary filling. The development of the restinga forest in areas previously colonized by open vegetation around the lagoon suggested the progradation of coastal facies that completely filled paleolagoon in the area. The synthesis of the palinological data showed that no major changes of the mainland vegetation ecosystem took place at least since 4000 cal yr AP. The vegetation in the study area did not suffer great modifications; with no record of climatic changes. The multi-proxies analysis suggests that the sedimentary dynamics must be responsible for the greater changes observed in the core sediments. The evolution of ecosystems could be related to variations of the depositional process and modification in the character of the substratum, related to the coastal progradation.

O estudo de três testemunhos rasos (até 2,5m de profundidade) coletados na região de Jaguaruna, litoral centro-sul de Santa Catarina, permitiu reconstituir parte da história de evolução sedimentar holocênica na área. Para isso, foi feita a análise integrada de quatro tipos de variáveis: sedimentológicas, diatomológicas, palinológicas e geoquímicas (Ctotal, Ntotal, 13C e 15N). Os dados de micropaleontologia foram tratados por métodos de estatística mutivariada (análise fatorial de correspondência, análise de componentes principais e classificação ascendente hierárquica), que evidenciaram agrupamentos significativos entre os microfósseis e, desse modo, auxiliaram nas interpretações. A ca. 5000 anos AP, a área de estudo deveria ser ocupada por um conjunto de lagunas interconectadas, cuja existência pôde ser atestada pelos sedimentos de fundo lagunar, na base de um dos testemunhos, em zona atualmente colonizada por mata de restinga. A ligação da laguna com o mar, nesta época, é verificada pela presença de diatomáceas marinhas e pelo sinal isotópico e elementar da matéria orgânica preservada nos sedimentos, indicativo de origem algácea, com valores de 13C de fitoplâncton marinho. A perda da conexão da laguna com o oceano ocorreu em diferentes momentos nos três testemunhos, sendo o último registro de desconexão da laguna observado a ca. 2740-2370 anos cal AP. Variações nas assembléis de diatomáceas no registro da fase lagunar (de 5500 até 2740-2370 anos cal AP) indicaram pelo menos dois períodos de mudanças maiores na salinidade da paleolaguna. Estes períodos puderam ser comparados a dados de paleoprecipitação, publicados em trabalhos anteriores, obtidos para o Estado de Santa Catarina. Observou-se boa correlação entre períodos com maior precipitação e períodos de diminuição na salinidade das águas da laguna, o que seria relacionado à sua diluição por maior aporte fluvial, sem excluir, no entanto, a possibilidade de menor influência marinha devido a dinâmica de abertura e fechamento das conexões da laguna com o oceano. O registro da vegetação através da analise palinológica auxiliou na elaboração do modelo evolutivo da área e permitiu reconstituir parte da história da vegetação no contexto de preenchimento da bacia lagunar. O desenvolvimento da vegetação de restinga em áreas antes ocupadas por vegetação característica de borda lagunar reforçaria a idéia de progradação das fácies costeiras assoreando por completo a paleolaguna na área. A síntese dos dados palinológicos entre os três testemunhos permite interpretar que, pelo menos desde 4000 anos cal AP, a vegetação na área de estudo não sofreu grandes modificações, o que sugere clima semelhante ao presente. A análise integrada dos diferentes indicadores paloambientais sugere que a dinâmica sedimentar deve ser a maior responsável pelas mudanças observadas nos três testemunhos, com evolução dos ecossistemas ligada, principalmente, a variações no regime e substrato deposicionais, relacionadas à progradação costeira. / Sediments from three cores collected in Jaguaruna (south Brazilian coast, Santa Catarina state) were analyzed, in order to reconstruct the Holocene sedimentary evolution of the area. The palaeoenvironmental reconstruction was based on microfossil proxies (diatoms, pollen and spores), analysis of sedimentary organic matter (13C, 15N and C/N ratios), and sedimentological analysis. From at least 5000 cal yr AP, the site was occupied by a system of interconnected lagoons, whose existence is verified in the core sediments by the record of paleolagoon sediments in area occupied by restinga forest nowadays. The existence of this lagoon and of its connection with the sea is indicated by the presence of marine diatoms and by the isotopic and elementary composition of the sedimentary organic matter, which is indicative of algal origin, with 13C values of marine phytoplankton. The end of the connection between sea and lagoon was registered in different moments in the three cores and the last record of disconnection is found in ca. 2740-2370 cal yr AP. The variations of the diatom assemblages from the lagoonal phase (between 5000 and 2740-2370 cal yr AP) indicated at least two periods of major changes in the paleolagoon salinity. These periods could be compared with the published paleoprecipitation data for the Santa Catarina state, which showed a good correlation between higher precipitation and reduction in the lagoon water salinity. This correlation would be related to dilution of water salinity by the greater fluvial discharges. However, it can not be exclude the possibility of a lower sea influence related with the dynamics of opening and closing connections between lagoon and ocean. The pollen analysis allowed the reconstruction of part of the vegetation history in the context of lagoon basin sedimentary filling. The development of the restinga forest in areas previously colonized by open vegetation around the lagoon suggested the progradation of coastal facies that completely filled paleolagoon in the area. The synthesis of the palinological data showed that no major changes of the mainland vegetation ecosystem took place at least since 4000 cal yr AP. The vegetation in the study area did not suffer great modifications; with no record of climatic changes. The multi-proxies analysis suggests that the sedimentary dynamics must be responsible for the greater changes observed in the core sediments. The evolution of ecosystems could be related to variations of the depositional process and modification in the character of the substratum, related to the coastal progradation.

Diatoms are microscopic, photosynthetic, single-celled organisms that are useful in studies of water qualities (eg pH, nutrients, salinity). By analyzing changes in the species composition of diatoms back in time, gives an opportunity to interpret the marine environment affected by various factors (Andren et al, 1999). The aim of the study was to study changes in diatom abundance and composition in Hallsfjärden, a bay in the Baltic Sea located north of Himmerfjärden in Södertälje. The site was chosen because it is a bay that is assumed to have a large environmental impact due to external factors such as increased population growth, water treatment plants, industrial areas, dredging and a link to Lake Mälaren. The purpose of the study therefore to investigate whether there was an environmental impact in Hallsfjärden, in order to draw conclusions about what happened in the area and what has affected the water the last 100 years.      The survey is conducted by sampling sediment cores, studied by biostratigraphy of fossil diatoms to reconstruct past environmental conditions. The results of the analysis showed that oxygen deficiency was a particular problem, which is related to the eutrophication that are threatening some diatoms and thereby changes the species composition of ecosystems in Hallsfjärden. A plausible interpretation of the analyze results is that Hallsfjärden was adversely affected by the Södertalje area's population growth and Himmerfjärdsverkets startup by high emissions of nutrients. It has on the other hand appeared a positive impact for Himmerfjärdsverkets gradually improved purification with clearer water conditions. Hallsfjärden have proved to be a particularly sensitive ecosystem in this study, with low salinity and strong thermocline, which means that it is more affected by eutrophication and pollution in its drainage area. This causes a problem of eutrophication in Hallsfjärden due to the bay showing the influence of the surrounding areas and its emissions, which later exports further to the Baltic Sea via Himmerfjärden with the southbound flow. / Kiselalger är mikroskopiska, fotosyntetiserande, encelliga organismer som är användbara vid studier om vattenkvalitéer (till exempel pH, näringsämnen, salthalt). Genom att analysera förändringar i artsammansättningen av kiselalger bakåt i tiden kan tolkningar göras om hur havsmiljön påverkats av olika faktorer (Andrén m.fl., 1999). Målet med studien var att studera förändringar i kiselalgernas förekomst i Hallsfjärden, en havsvik i Östersjön belägen norr om Himmerfjärden i Södertälje. Platsen valdes för att det är en havsvik som antas ha stor miljöpåverkan på grund av yttre faktorer såsom en ökad befolkningstillväxt, reningsverk, industriområden, muddring och en kontakt med sjön Mälaren. Syftet med studien var därmed att undersöka om en miljöpåverkan fanns i fjärden, detta för att kunna dra slutsatser om vad som hänt samt vad som påverkat vattenområdet de senaste 100 åren.      Undersökningen är utförd genom provtagning av sedimentkärnor som undersökts avseende biostratigrafin av fossila kiselalger för att rekonstruera tidigare miljöförhållanden. Analysresultatet visade att syrebrist var ett utmärkande problem, vilket i samband med eutrofiering hotar vissa kiselalgsarter och förändrar därmed artsammansättningen i ekosystemen i Hallsfjärden. En sannolik tolkning av analysresultatet är att Hallsfjärden påverkats negativt av Södertäljeområdets befolkningstillväxt och Himmerfjärdsverkets uppstart genom höga utsläpp av näringsämnen. Det har å andra sidan synts en positiv inverkan efter Himmerfjärdsverkets successivt förbättrade rening med klarare vattenförhållanden. Hallsfjärden har i studien visat sig vara ett särskilt känsligt ekosystem med låg salthalt och starka språngskikt, vilket gör att det påverkas mer av eutrofiering och föroreningarna i området. Detta medför en övergödningsproblematik i Hallsfjärden, då fjärden visar en påverkan av omkringliggande områden och dess utsläpp av föroreningar, vilka även sedan exporteras ut i Östersjön via Himmerfjärden med den sydgående strömmen.

Since 1750, human emissions of greenhouse gases have created a temperature increase, affecting the whole world. Diatoms, single-celled microscopic algae that lives in waters all over the world, have different environmental preferences such as the water depth at which the thrive, salinity, nutrients, pH-values and more. Diatoms also responds quickly to changing circumstances, which makes the suitable as environmental indicators. The purpose of the study is to investigate how the abundance and composition of diatoms has changed during the last 200 years in lake Ensjön, located just south of Norrköping, and to relate those changes both to climate change and known events and environmental factors in the area.  The survey is conducted by subsampling sediment cores from which each diatom sample was prepared in accordance with the scheme of Battarbee (1984). The diatoms in the samples were counted under a microscope and the results were analyzed and related to the Cyclotella-Aulacoseira-Fragilaria-theory (CAF) and documented historical events in the local environment. The result of the analysis shows that the composition and abundance of diatoms has changed during the last 200 years, and that this change is due to both climate change (temperature and precipitation increase) and the land-use history of Ensjön. The cahnges in composition of Aulacoseira spp. and Cyclotella spp., where Aulacoseira spp. is expected to decrease, and Cyclotella spp. is expected to increase with a rising temperature, match the CAF-theory for the most part. The change in composition also coincides with several documented environmental factors in the area, especially the change in use of fertilizers and herbicides in agriculture. / Människans utsläpp av växthusgaser har sedan år 1750 skapat en temperaturökning som går allt snabbare, och påverkar hela världen. Kiselalger, encelliga mikroskopiska alger som lever i vatten över hela världen, har olika miljöpreferenser såsom bland annat på vilket vattendjup de trivs, optimal halt av salt, näringsvärden, pH-värden, samt reagerar snabbt på förändrade omständigheter, vilket gör dem lämpliga som miljöindikatorer. Syftet med studien är att studera förändringar i kiselalgernas sammansättning under de senaste 200 åren i den lilla sjön Ensjön belägen något söder om Norrköping och att relatera dessa förändringar till dokumenterade händelser och miljöfaktorer i sjöns avrinningsområde samt till de pågående klimatförändringarna.  Undersökningen är utförd genom provtagning av sedimentkärnor från vilka prover preparerades enligt Battarbees (1984) flödesschema. Proverna av kiselalger räknades under mikroskop och sammansättningen analyserades utifrån teorin Cyclotella-Aulacoseira-Fragilaria (CAF) och kända historiska händelser i närmiljön. Analysresultatet visade att kiselalgssammansättningen har förändrats under de senaste 200 åren, och att denna förändring sannolikt kan kopplas både till klimatförändringar (en ökad temperatur) och Ensjöns markanvändningshistoria. Förändringen hos Aulacoseira spp. och Cyclotella spp. följer till stor del CAF-teorin om att det första släktet skulle minska och det andra skulle öka vid en temperaturökning. Vid flera tillfällen sammanfaller förändringar i kiselalgssammansättningen med kända miljöfaktorer i närmiljön, främst i samband med utvecklingen i användningen av mineralgödsel och växtskyddsmedel.