Recent lake level variations in Lake Haubi, central Tanzania, interpreted from pollen and sediment studies

Variations in pollen assemblages and in physical and chemical composition of a dated sediment record from the small Lake Haubi in north central Tanzania, reveal lake level fluctuations since the late 19th century. Lake Haubi changed from a seasonally inundated swamp to a lake in the beginning of the 20th century. With the exception of 1942-44, when it dried out completely, it remained water filled until 1994 when it again turned into a swamp. The lake level fluctuations in Lake Haubi are largely in phase with fluctuations of the larger East African lakes levels during the 20th century, and are therefore interpreted as being mainly controlled by regional climatic fluctuations. However, the initial formation of Lake Haubi at the turn of the century was likely due to local catchment specific causes, e.g. changes in land use, as the rapid increase in the water level at this time does not correspond to other lake level records from the region.