Vulnerability and adaptability of Africa’s inland fisheries to climate change : an interdisciplinary approach to a multi-dimensional conservation challenge
Date
2018-09
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This thesis takes a cross-disciplinary approach employing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to integrate social and ecological data for a holistic understanding of the vulnerability of Africa’s freshwater fisheries to climate change. This thesis is comprised of three major sections: the first (Chapter 1) uses a meta-analytical approach to predict vulnerability of Africa’s exploited freshwater fishes based on species traits and predicted climate change exposure. The second section (Chapters 2 and 3) employs an experimental approach to test the ability of the Nile perch, a commercially harvested fish species in the Lake Victoria basin of East Africa, to physiologically adjust thermal tolerance limits to increased water temperatures. The final section, (Chapter 4), investigates how fishing-dependent communities adjust to climate-mediated changes in the ecosystem with the aim to determine vulnerability and resilience of stakeholder communities to projected changes in the fishery.
Description
item.page.type
Thesis
item.page.format
Keywords
ANTHROPOGENIC STRESSORS, ECOLOGICAL CHANGE IN NATURAL POPULATIONS, TROPICAL INLAND FISHERIES, FOOD FISHES, OBSERVATIONAL APPROACHES, META-ANALYTICAL APPROACHES, RESPONSE OF FRESHWATER FISHES TO CLIMATE CHANGE STRESSORS, NILE PERCH, LAKE VICTORIA BASIN, EAST AFRICA, GLOBAL WARMING, WATER QUALITY, FOOD SECURITY