The Mau Forest Complex is Kenya's largest fragment of Afromontane forest, providing critical ecosystem services, and has been subject to intense land use changes since colonial times. It forms the upper catchment of rivers that drain into major drainage networks, thus supporting the livelihoods of millions of Kenyans and providing important wildlife areas. We present the results of a sedimentological and palynological analysis of a Late Pleistocene–Holocene sediment record of Afromontane forest change from Nyabuiyabui wetland in the Eastern Mau Forest, a highland region that has received limited geological characterization and palaeoecological study. Sedimentology, pollen, charcoal, X‐ray fluorescence and radiocarbon data record environmental and ecosystem change over the last ~16 000 cal a bp. The pollen record suggests Afromontane forests characterized the end of the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene with dominant taxa changing from Apodytes, Celtis, Dracaena, Hagenia and Podocarpus to Cordia, Croton, Ficus, Juniperus and Olea. The Late Holocene is characterized by a more open Afromontane forest with increased grass and herbaceous cover. Continuous Poaceae, Cyperaceae and Juncaceae vegetation currently cover the wetland and the water level has been decreasing over the recent past. Intensive agroforestry since the 1920s has reduced Afromontane forest cover as introduced taxa have increased (Pinus, Cupressus and Eucalyptus).

中文翻译：

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肯尼亚东毛森林内的晚更新世和全新世Afromontane植被和源水湿地动态

茂森林综合体是肯尼亚Afromontane森林的最大片段，提供关键的生态系统服务，自殖民时代以来，土地使用发生了剧烈变化。它形成了流向主要排水网络的河流上游流域，从而为数百万肯尼亚人的生计提供了支持，并提供了重要的野生动植物保护区。我们介绍了东部毛乌森林（高地地区，受到有限的地质特征和古生态学研究）Nyabuiyabui湿地Afromontane森林变化的晚更新世-全新世沉积记录的沉积学和古生物学分析结果。沉积学，花粉，木炭，X射线荧光和放射性碳数据记录了过去约16000 cal abp的环境和生态系统变化。花粉记录表明，Afromontane森林是晚更新世末至全新世的末代，其主要分类群从Apodytes，Celtis，Dracaena，Hagenia和Podocarpus变为Cordia，Croton，Ficus，Juniperus和Olea。全新世晚期的特征是一个比较开放的Afromontane森林，草和草覆盖增加。目前，连续的禾本科，莎草科和c科植被覆盖了湿地，并且水位在最近一段时间内一直在下降。自1920年代以来，随着引入的分类单元（松树，柏树和桉树）的增加，集约化农林业减少了Afromontane森林的覆盖率。