Late Pleistocene and Holocene Afromontane vegetation and headwater wetland dynamics within the Eastern Mau Forest, Kenya

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 rivers that drain into major drainage networks, thus supporting livelihoods millions Kenyans important wildlife areas. We present results a sedimentological palynological analysis Late Pleistocene–Holocene sediment record forest change from Nyabuiyabui wetland in Eastern Forest, highland region received limited geological characterization palaeoecological study. Sedimentology, pollen, charcoal, X-ray fluorescence radiocarbon data environmental over last ~16 000 cal bp. pollen suggests forests characterized end Pleistocene Holocene with dominant taxa changing Apodytes, Celtis, Dracaena, Hagenia Podocarpus Cordia, Croton, Ficus, Juniperus Olea. by more open increased grass herbaceous cover. Continuous Poaceae, Cyperaceae Juncaceae vegetation currently cover water level decreasing recent past. Intensive agroforestry 1920s reduced as introduced have (Pinus, Cupressus Eucalyptus).