![]() ![]() Other animals which inhabit this area are zebra, ostrich, fringed eared oryx, gazelle, gerenuk, lesser kudu and golden jackal. Because the flamingos use this area for breeding the lake and its surrounding is under the International concern for preservation. The flamingos of lake Natron feed with the lakes Spirulina algae. They build their nests using the soda flats between August and October. Dont know the best time - I was there in September. The lake is a breeding place for thousands of Rift Valley Flamingos. In Tanzania, Lake Natron is a breeding ground for lesser flamingos. Up to a million flamingos migrate to Lake Natron in Tanzania to breed each year. Some of the activities at Lake Natron are swimming, a visit to Maasai boma or a simple trek to the Ngorongoro Crater Highlands with numerous craters. Scientists predict this years flamingo breeding season could be the most significant since 2007. Among the most prominent attractions of Lake Natron is the Gelai Volcano, a 2,942 m (9,652 feet) high volcano in the southeastern part, and the archeological site of Peninj, where archeologists discovered the Peninj Mandible – the fossilized teeth of Australopithecus boisei. The current global population is approximately 2-3 million birds. What we do know is that 65 of all Lesser Flamingos on earth are born at Lake Natron, so clearly this is an important breeding area for this enigmatic species. The area around the lake offers different attractions such as a large number of volcanic implosion craters, numerous waterfalls and ravines with nesting places for Rüppell's Griffon Vultures. Everyone associates Lake Natron with Lesser Flamingos, but that is only part of the story. The surface of Lake Natron, which has high salt, magnesite and sodium carbonate concentration, is covered with a pinkish-white soda crust. The shallow and alkaline lake has different springs, the Ewaso Ng'iro River and different hot springs. Lake Natron covers an area 56 km (35 miles) long and 24 km (15 miles) wide but the water level changes due to evaporation. The lake is in the vicinity of Ol Doinyo Lengai, which is visible on the southern part. Our results will assist the future sustainable management of Lake Natron and will contribute towards Lesser Flamingo conservation.Lake Natron is situated in northern Tanzania on the border with Kenya, close to the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Analysis of lake features in the imagery, including the presence of salt islands, has been used to set lower and upper limits to lake areas suitable for flamingo breeding. Comparison to infrequent observations of flamingo breeding at Natron are consistent with the prevailing hypothesis of the importance of receding lake levels. ![]() A time series of lake surface area has been produced which shows a high degree of variability in lake levels. Lake Natron is designated as a Ramsar site and is a crucially important breeding site for the Lesser Flamingo, with nearly all of East Africas estimated 1.5 - 2.5 million of this bird (75 of the world population) having been hatched at Lake Natron. In addition, local environmental change and global climate change over the past 50 years have altered the hydrological characteristics of the catchment.Īrchival Landsat imagery (1984–2011) has been used to establish baseline data about the past hydrological variability of the lake by applying the Modified Normalised Difference Water Index (MNDWI). Both developments will significantly alter the hydrology and ecology of the lake and could impact flamingo breeding. Not only would it destroy the flamingos’ breeding ground, but it would also affect the salt marshes and freshwater wetlands bordering the lake. ![]() Lake Natron is threatened by two proposed developments: a multi-purpose dam, to be built on the Ewaso Ngiro (South) River (45% of the lake's catchment area), and a soda ash extraction factory. With three quarters of the world’s lesser flamingo population relying on Lake Natron, the end of the lake could easily spell the demise of the species. The lake is of critical importance as the sole breeding site for East Africa's population of Lesser Flamingos ( Phoeniconaias minor), a species which is classified as near-threatened due to decreasing numbers and limited suitable breeding sites (IUCN). Lake Natron Flamingos are the only animals to thrive in this environment rife with mortality. Across eastern Africa, the lesser flamingo feed on algae found in soda lakes. Landsat satellite imagery was used to investigate the ecohydrological sustainability of Tanzania's Lake Natron. Home to the Maasai and over one million flamingos, Lake Natron is a perfect.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |