@article{fdi:010055749,
  title = {{P}ast environmental and climatic changes during the last 7200 cal yr {BP} in {A}damawa plateau ({N}orthern-{C}ameroun) based on fossil diatoms and sedimentary carbon isotopic records from {L}ake {M}balang},
  author = {{N}guetsop, {V}. {F}. and {B}entaleb, {I}. and {F}avier, {C}. and {M}artin, {C}. and {B}ietrix, {S}. and {G}iresse, {P}. and {S}ervant {V}ildary, {S}imone and {S}ervant, {M}ichel},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{P}ast limnological conditions of {L}ake {M}balang (7 degrees 19' {N}, 13 degrees 44' {E}, altitude: 1130 m) and vegetation type were reconstructed from diatoms and sedimentary stable carbon isotope records (delta {C}-13) since 7200 cal yr {BP}. {T}he data showed that before 3600 cal yr {BP}, the water column was dominantly stable except around 5000-5300 cal yr {BP} where diatoms evidenced a mixed upper water layer and delta {C}-13 data suggest more forested vegetation in the landscape. {T}hese stable conditions can be explained by a strong monsoon flux and relatively northern position of the {ITCZ} that entailed high or low rainfall well distributed over the year, allowing the development of mountainous forest taxa. {T}he decreasing trend of the monsoon flux towards the mid-{H}olocene was affected by several abrupt centennial to millennial-scale weakening at 6700, 5800-6000, 5000-5300, 4500 and 3600 cal yr {BP}. {H}owever, their impact on the vegetation is not visible, probably because rainfall distribution was favourable to forest maintenance or extension. {A}fter 3600 cal yr {BP}, the water column became very mixed as a result of more intense {NE} trade winds ({H}armattan) that led at similar to 3000 cal yr {BP} to the establishment of savannah in the vegetation landscape. {A}t that time, rainfall was probably reduced following the southward shift of the {ITCZ}, and the distribution of yearly rainfall was not favourable anymore to forest development. {A} strong seasonality with a marked dry season was established, conditions that maintained the savannah vegetation until today. {D}iatom data suggest the lake did not dry up during the last 7200 cal yr {BP}; however, a low lake level observed at 24002100 cal yr {BP} is contemporaneous to a climatic event evidenced in several areas of tropical {A}frica and could correspond to the southernmost position of the {ITCZ}. {O}ther low lake levels are observed at 1800 and 1400 cal yr {BP}, after which the lake rose to its present level.},
  keywords = {},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{C}limate of the {P}ast},
  volume = {7},
  numero = {4},
  pages = {1371--1393},
  ISSN = {1814-9324},
  year = {2011},
  DOI = {10.5194/cp-7-1371-2011},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010055749},
}