摘要
Sedimentary TOC （total organic carbon）, TN （total nitrogen） and C/N （carbon/nitrogen） at selected sites of Lake Victoria basin have provided evidence of phytoplankton productivity, input of nitrates and allochthonous （land） plant materials/catchment destruction in the basin during the late Holocene period （last 4,000 years to present）. TOC and TN in the sediment cores were determined using EuroEA3000 Series Elemental Analyser and radiocarbon dating done using AMS （accelerator mass spectrometry） standard method. Results showed that TOC （13.45%-20.78%） and TN （1.07%-1.92%） values were higher at Napoleon Gulf from about 4,186 years before present （ca. 4,186 yr. BP） to present than at inlet of river Kagera （TOC： 3.27%-6.32% and TN： 0.30%-0.59%） from about 190 years before present （ca. 190 yr. BP） to present. Generally TOC and TN had a negative correlation （r = -0.37, p = 0.04, n = 32） at Napoleon Gulf in the last 4,186 years to present signifying that C/N ratios were governed mostly by phytoplankton productivity which markedly increased during some periods in the last 370 years to present possibly as a result of increased input of nitrates. However, the periods from about 4,186 years to 1,684 years before present （ca. 4,186 yr. BP to 1,684 yr. BP） and some periods between the last 370 years to present indicated increased input of allochthonous plant materials/catchment destruction. On overall, there was a positive correlation between C/N and TOC at inlet of river Kagera （r = 0.57, p = 0.01, n = 20） in the last 190 years to present possibly signifying that C/N ratios were governed mainly by input of allochthonous plant materials hence increased catchment destruction. Input of land plant materials （catchment destruction） along Kagera basin declined during some period after 1950 AD. However the most recent years have shown increased input of land plant materials （catchment destruction） in Kagera basin.
