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Biodiversity and ecosystem functions in Southern African Savanna rangelands: Threats, impacts and solutions (2024)
Book Chapter
Geißler, K., Blaum, N., von Maltitz, G. P., Smith, T., Bookhagen, B., Wanke, H., …Uugulu, S. (2024). Biodiversity and ecosystem functions in Southern African Savanna rangelands: Threats, impacts and solutions. In G. P. von Maltitz, G. F. Midgley, J. Veitch, C. Brümmer, R. P. Rötter, F. A. Viehberg, & M. Veste (Eds.), Sustainability of Southern African Ecosystems under Global Change (407-438). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10948-5_15

Savanna rangelands provide diverse communities across southern Africa with livestock and wildlife-based livelihoods, as well as extensive ecosystem services. Historical usage patterns, however, are increasingly challenged by widespread degradation. W... Read More about Biodiversity and ecosystem functions in Southern African Savanna rangelands: Threats, impacts and solutions.

Determining the source water and active root depth of woody plants using a deuterium tracer at a Savannah site in northern Stampriet Basin, Namibia (2023)
Journal Article
Uugulu, S., Wanke, H., & Koeniger, P. (2024). Determining the source water and active root depth of woody plants using a deuterium tracer at a Savannah site in northern Stampriet Basin, Namibia. Hydrogeology Journal, 32(1), 189-201. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-023-02747-x

Woody plants play a significant role in the global water cycle through water uptake by roots and evapotranspiration. A deuterium tracer was used to assess the active root depths for Salvia mellifera and Boscia albitrunca in the Ebenhaezer area (weste... Read More about Determining the source water and active root depth of woody plants using a deuterium tracer at a Savannah site in northern Stampriet Basin, Namibia.

Vadose zone water stable isotope profiles for assessing groundwater recharge: Sensitivity to seasonal soil sampling (2023)
Journal Article
Boumaiza, L., Chesnaux, R., Drias, T., Stotler, R. L., Skrzypek, G., Gillon, M., …Stumpp, C. (2023). Vadose zone water stable isotope profiles for assessing groundwater recharge: Sensitivity to seasonal soil sampling. Journal of Hydrology, 626(Part A), Article 130291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2023.130291

Groundwater recharge is widely recognized as being the most important parameter for the sustainable management of water resources. In semiarid environments, groundwater recharge can be quantified using the piston displacement method (PDM). From a sin... Read More about Vadose zone water stable isotope profiles for assessing groundwater recharge: Sensitivity to seasonal soil sampling.

How are microplastics incorporated in fluvial sedimentary structures (2023)
Presentation / Conference
Beaumont, H., Ockelford, A., & Wanke, H. (2023, July). How are microplastics incorporated in fluvial sedimentary structures. Presented at International Conference on Fluvial Sedimentology

It's predicted there will be ~1.3 billion-tonnes of microplastics (MPs) in the environment by 2040, with rivers transporting 95% into the ocean; this is much higher than previously thought. MPs pose a threat to aquatic ecosystems and could become par... Read More about How are microplastics incorporated in fluvial sedimentary structures.

Reconstructing rainfall using dryland dunes: Assessing the suitability of the southern Kalahari for unsaturated zone hydrostratigraphies (2022)
Journal Article
Stone, A., Zeng, Y., Yu, L., van der Ploeg, M., & Wanke, H. (2022). Reconstructing rainfall using dryland dunes: Assessing the suitability of the southern Kalahari for unsaturated zone hydrostratigraphies. Frontiers in Earth Science, 10, -. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.1034671

Time-series of dryland rainfall over 100–1000s of years are scarce but are needed to underpin improved predictions under future climate change. Dryland sand dunes are established Quaternary geomorphic archives, which also contain pore moisture as par... Read More about Reconstructing rainfall using dryland dunes: Assessing the suitability of the southern Kalahari for unsaturated zone hydrostratigraphies.

GIS-based water budget framework for assessing regional scale spatio-temporal variation and the impact of climate change on groundwater recharge over the past 100 years (2022)
Presentation / Conference
Boumaiza, L., Walter, J., Chesnaux, R., Lambert, M., Kumar Jha, M., Wanke, H., …Stumpp, C. (2022, May). GIS-based water budget framework for assessing regional scale spatio-temporal variation and the impact of climate change on groundwater recharge over the past 100 years. Presented at The Joint AGC/AMC/IAH-CNC Conference, Halifax

Knowledge of groundwater recharge (GWR) and its distribution are necessary for sustainable groundwater resources management. However, quantifying GWR remains particularly challenging as this parameter cannot be measured directly. At the regional scal... Read More about GIS-based water budget framework for assessing regional scale spatio-temporal variation and the impact of climate change on groundwater recharge over the past 100 years.

Toward the sustainable use of groundwater springs: a case study from Namibia (2022)
Journal Article
Soetaert, F., Wanke, H., Dupuy, A., Lusuekikio, V., Gaucher, E. C., Bordmann, V., …Franceschi, M. (2022). Toward the sustainable use of groundwater springs: a case study from Namibia. Sustainability, 14(7), Article 3995. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14073995

The water supply in drylands mainly relies on groundwater, making it a crucial resource. Springs in southern Africa are often underutilized, and are neither protected nor monitored. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate their quality in a sampl... Read More about Toward the sustainable use of groundwater springs: a case study from Namibia.

Groundwater recharge over the past 100 years: Regional spatiotemporal assessment and climate change impact over the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, Canada (2022)
Journal Article
Boumaiza, L., Walter, J., Chesnaux, R., Lambert, M., Jha, M. K., Wanke, H., …Stumpp, C. (2022). Groundwater recharge over the past 100 years: Regional spatiotemporal assessment and climate change impact over the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, Canada. Hydrological Processes, 36(3), Article e14526. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14526

Proper knowledge of potential groundwater recharge (PGR) and its spatiotemporal distribution are essential for sustainable groundwater management, especially within the context of climate change. Here, a robust GIS-based water budget framework was de... Read More about Groundwater recharge over the past 100 years: Regional spatiotemporal assessment and climate change impact over the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, Canada.

Challenges to implementing environmental-DNA monitoring in Namibia (2022)
Journal Article
Perry, I., Jâms, I. B., Casas-Mulet, R., Hamutoko, J., Marchbank, A., Lendelvo, S., …Kille, P. (2022). Challenges to implementing environmental-DNA monitoring in Namibia. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 9, Article 773991. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2021.773991

By identifying fragments of DNA in the environment, eDNA approaches present a promising tool for monitoring biodiversity in a cost-effective way. This is particularly pertinent for countries where traditional morphological monitoring has been sparse.... Read More about Challenges to implementing environmental-DNA monitoring in Namibia.

Rare earth elements in uranium ore deposits from Namibia: A nuclear forensics tool (2021)
Journal Article
Madzunya, D., Uushona, V., Mathuthu, M., & Heike, W. (2021). Rare earth elements in uranium ore deposits from Namibia: A nuclear forensics tool. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 237, Article 106668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2021.106668

Rare earth elements (REE) concentrations and pattern remains largely unchanged during the process of milling and can thus provide strong evidence of the origin of the material. The aim of this study was to determine the rare earth elements in uranium... Read More about Rare earth elements in uranium ore deposits from Namibia: A nuclear forensics tool.

Spatial distribution of soil salinity: A GIS-based assessment at the Hardap irrigation scheme, Namibia (2020)
Journal Article
Ambambi, H. N., Katjimune, H. V., Hipondoka, M., & Wanke, H. (2020). Spatial distribution of soil salinity: A GIS-based assessment at the Hardap irrigation scheme, Namibia. Namibian Journal for Research, Science and Technology, 2(1), 125-134

Salinization is a worldwide problem that affects the physical and chemical properties of soils. It is the most common and widely recognized form of land degradation, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, where evaporation surpasses precipitatio... Read More about Spatial distribution of soil salinity: A GIS-based assessment at the Hardap irrigation scheme, Namibia.

Evaporation loss along the Calueque-Oshakati Canal in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin (Northern Namibia): Evidence from stable isotopes and hydrochemistry (2020)
Journal Article
Koeniger, P., Hamutoko, J., Post, V. E. A., Beyer, M., Gaj, M., Himmelsbach, T., & Wanke, H. (2021). Evaporation loss along the Calueque-Oshakati Canal in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin (Northern Namibia): Evidence from stable isotopes and hydrochemistry. Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies, 57(1), 53-66. https://doi.org/10.1080/10256016.2020.1830082

© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Since 1973, Kunene River water has been carried from the Calueque reservoir in Angola along a 160 km open concrete canal to the town of Oshakati in the centra... Read More about Evaporation loss along the Calueque-Oshakati Canal in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin (Northern Namibia): Evidence from stable isotopes and hydrochemistry.

Estimation of groundwater recharge in savannah aquifers along a precipitation gradient using chloride mass balance method and environmental isotopes, Namibia (2020)
Journal Article
Uugulu, S., & Wanke, H. (2020). Estimation of groundwater recharge in savannah aquifers along a precipitation gradient using chloride mass balance method and environmental isotopes, Namibia. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 116, Article 102844. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2020.102844

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd The quantification of groundwater resources is essential especially in water scarce countries like Namibia. The chloride mass balance (CMB) method and isotopic composition were used in determining groundwater recharge along a prec... Read More about Estimation of groundwater recharge in savannah aquifers along a precipitation gradient using chloride mass balance method and environmental isotopes, Namibia.

Partitioning of water between differently sized shrubs and potential groundwater recharge in a semiarid savanna in Namibia (2019)
Journal Article
Geißler, K., Heblack, J., Uugulu, S., Wanke, H., & Blaum, N. (2019). Partitioning of water between differently sized shrubs and potential groundwater recharge in a semiarid savanna in Namibia. Frontiers in Plant Science, 10, Article 1411. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01411

Introduction: Many semiarid regions around the world are presently experiencing significant changes in both climatic conditions and vegetation. This includes a disturbed coexistence between grasses and bushes also known as bush encroachment, and alte... Read More about Partitioning of water between differently sized shrubs and potential groundwater recharge in a semiarid savanna in Namibia.

Observed controls on resilience of groundwater to climate variability in sub-Saharan Africa (2019)
Journal Article
Cuthbert, M. O., Taylor, R. G., Favreau, G., Todd, M. C., Shamsudduha, M., Villholth, K. G., …Kukuric, N. (2019). Observed controls on resilience of groundwater to climate variability in sub-Saharan Africa. Nature, 572, 230-234. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1441-7

Groundwater in sub-Saharan Africa supports livelihoods and poverty alleviation maintains vital ecosystems, and strongly influences terrestrial water and energy budgets. Yet the hydrological processes that govern groundwater recharge and sustainabilit... Read More about Observed controls on resilience of groundwater to climate variability in sub-Saharan Africa.

The role of local perched aquifers in regional groundwater recharge in semi-arid environments: Evidence from the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin, Namibia (2019)
Journal Article
Hamutoko, J. T., Post, V. E. A., Wanke, H., Beyer, M., Houben, G., & Mapani, B. (2019). The role of local perched aquifers in regional groundwater recharge in semi-arid environments: Evidence from the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin, Namibia. Hydrogeology Journal, 27(7), 2399-2413. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-019-02008-w

The influence of local perched aquifers on groundwater recharge in semi-arid areas at a regional scale remains inadequately studied, especially in southern Africa where data scarcity limits the understanding of recharge and groundwater flow processes... Read More about The role of local perched aquifers in regional groundwater recharge in semi-arid environments: Evidence from the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin, Namibia.

Metagenomics reveals seasonality of human pathogenic bacteria from hand-dug well water in the Cuvelai Etosha Basin of Namibia (2019)
Journal Article
McBenedict, B., Hauwanga, W., Wanke, H., Chimwamurombe, P., & Hang’ombe, B. (2019). Metagenomics reveals seasonality of human pathogenic bacteria from hand-dug well water in the Cuvelai Etosha Basin of Namibia. Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology, 13(2), 865-877. https://doi.org/10.22207/JPAM.13.2.22

Namibia is a large country with a population slightly above 2 million of which 73% live in rural areas. It is the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa with unpredictable rainfall patterns which occur between October and May. The Cuvelai Etosha Basin... Read More about Metagenomics reveals seasonality of human pathogenic bacteria from hand-dug well water in the Cuvelai Etosha Basin of Namibia.

Examination of deep root water uptake using anomalies of soil water stable isotopes, depth-controlled isotopic labeling and mixing models (2018)
Journal Article
Beyer, M., Hamutoko, J. T., Wanke, H., Gaj, M., & Koeniger, P. (2018). Examination of deep root water uptake using anomalies of soil water stable isotopes, depth-controlled isotopic labeling and mixing models. Journal of Hydrology, 566, 122-136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.08.060

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. Knowledge on the water uptake depths of vegetation is crucial for understanding water transport processes of the soil-vegetation atmosphere continuum and relevant for many applications (e.g. the estimation of groundwater recharge... Read More about Examination of deep root water uptake using anomalies of soil water stable isotopes, depth-controlled isotopic labeling and mixing models.

Stable isotope signatures of meteoric water in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin, Namibia: Seasonal characteristics, trends and relations to southern African patterns (2018)
Journal Article
Wanke, H., Gaj, M., Beyer, M., Koeniger, P., & Hamutoko, J. T. (2018). Stable isotope signatures of meteoric water in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin, Namibia: Seasonal characteristics, trends and relations to southern African patterns. Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies, 54(6), 588-607. https://doi.org/10.1080/10256016.2018.1505724

© 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. The study area is the Namibian part of the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin (CEB), located in central northern Namibia. The CEB is home to 40% of Namibia’s population, and most of the peopl... Read More about Stable isotope signatures of meteoric water in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin, Namibia: Seasonal characteristics, trends and relations to southern African patterns.

Precipitation Origins and Key Drivers of Precipitation Isotope (18O, 2H, and 17O) Compositions Over Windhoek (2018)
Journal Article
Kaseke, K. F., Wang, L., Wanke, H., Tian, C., Lanning, M., & Jiao, W. (2018). Precipitation Origins and Key Drivers of Precipitation Isotope (18O, 2H, and 17O) Compositions Over Windhoek. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 123(14), 7311-7330. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD028470

©2018. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. Southern African climate is characterized by large precipitation variability, and model precipitation estimates can vary by 70% during summer. This may be partly attributed to underestimation an... Read More about Precipitation Origins and Key Drivers of Precipitation Isotope (18O, 2H, and 17O) Compositions Over Windhoek.