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Kenyan ecosystem dynamics: perspectives from high and low altitude
ecosystems
Rucina, S.M.
Publication date 2011
Link to publication
Citation for published version (APA):
Rucina, S. M. (2011). Kenyan ecosystem dynamics: perspectives from high and low altitude ecosystems. Design Point.
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Curriculum Vitae
Stephen Mathai RUCINAStephen M. Rucina was employed in 1982 at the National Museums of Kenya as a Herbarium Assistant after completion of high school education. He was involved in many expeditions where he gained wide experience on vegetation ecology and taxonomy. Publications have been prepared on some of the expenditions he was involved in, which includes the ‘Ecological Inventory of the Kora National Researve, Kenya’. This Kora Research Project 1982-1985 was a joint venture between the National Museums of Kenya and the Royal Geographical Society.. The report was edited by Malcolm Coe and N. Mark Collins. and published by the Royal Geographical Society London UK.
His experience in Herbarium and vegetation ecology and taxonomy integrated well with pollen work and usage in understanding of vegetation dynamics. Later Stephen was transferred to the Palynology and Palaeobotany Section after showing keen interests on climate change research. In 1990 he went for further studies to Kenya Polytechnic University College. He studied Earth Sciences and majored in Metamporphic and Igneous rocks, Mineralogy and Hydrogeology, Physical and structural Geology, Soil Science, Sedimentary rocks and Palaeontology, Field Geology; Survey and Photogrammetry. He graduated in 1992 with a diploma.
He went back to his station at the National Museums of Kenya and took a position as a laboratory technician in the Palynology and Palaeobotany Section. His duties included developing a pollen and spore collection, general laboratory management including curatorial duties. From 1992 to1999 Stephen was involved in climate change research projects in various parts of Kenya and learned coring techniques to recover lake and swamp sediments. Some of the materials recovered have been used for publications of which he is a co-author.
In 1999 Stephen got funding from Dr. Henry Lamb and registered for M.Phil at the University of Wales, Aberystywth under his supervision. He graduated in 2001 with a Master of Philosophy degree majoring in modern pollen vegetation relationships. His project for the masters’ degree was in
transect the vegetation zonation with the modern pollen rain. After his master’s degree, Stephen was appointed as Research Scientist II and Head of Palynology and Palaeobotany Section. He has been carrying research, training and administrative duties. He has co-authored some publications in international journals. Stephen has helped local and international researchers and students involved in palaeoecology, guiding them on requirements and needs to carry research in Kenya.
In 2005 Stephen registered for a PhD to carry out research on palaeoecology of high and low altitudes of Kenya under the direct supervision of Dr Robert Marchant of the University of York England, and Prof. Dr. Henry Hooghiemstra of the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands as promotor. Two chapters of the current PhD thesis were published in international peer-reviewed journals with Stephen as the lead author. A third paper is in review, while a fourth paper is close to be submitted to a journal. Stephen has attended many conferences and workshops and at some of them he has presented oral presentations and posters. He has participated for field research outside Kenya in Tanzania and Ethiopia. Some of the conferences and workshops attended for the last five years include: 2006- Out of Africa Conference: Towards understanding Palaeoenvironments during the first out of Africa.
2006- National Museums of Kenya Conference: A presentation on Late Holocene vegetation dynamics, climate, fire and human activities.
2006- East Africa Quaternary Science Conference in Uganda.
2006- Workshop on Late Holocene climate variability and ecosystem dynamics from laminated Lake Challa sediments.
2006- Science for Heritage Conservation: Our Heritage Our Wealth. National Museums of Kenya Annual Scientific Conference: 15-16th November.
2008- Scientific Drilling for Human Origins: Exploring the Application of Drill Core Records to understand Homid Evolution. 2009- EAQUA Conference, Ethiopia, with a presentation on Late Quaternary vegetation and fire dynamics on Mount Kenya. 2010- Paleochronology Workshop, August 17th to 21th in Mexico.
2010- International Conference on Biodiversity, Land Use and Climate Change, Nairobi, Kenya, 15-17th September.
2011 (planned)- Continental Drilling in the East African Rift Lakes: A strategic Planning Workshop, USA.
Stephen is interested in understanding vegetation dynamics in the Holocene, pollen vegetation relationships, land use and land cover changes, and fire history and archaeology
LIST OF PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS IN INTERNATIONAL JOURNALS:
in prep / in review
Ashley, G.M., Mworia, J.M., Muasya, A.M.., Owen, R.B., Driese, S.G.,
Hover, V.C. Renaut, R.W., Goman, M.F., Rucina, S.M. & Blatt, S.H., 2004. Sedimentation and evolution of freshwater wetland in a semi-arid environment, Loboi Swamp, Kenya. Journal of Sedimentology 51, 1-21.
Rucina, S.M., McGuiness, K. & Marchant, R., in review. Holocene montane
forest ecosystem dynamics from Mount Kenya. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany.
Rucina, S.M., Verschuren, D., Gelorini, V. & Marchant, R., in prep.
High resolution late Holocene ecosystem dynamics in the Lake Challa catchment and wider Kilimanjaro region. To be submitted to Journal of Quaternary Science.
Van Geel, B., Gelorini, V., Aptroot, A., Rucina, S.M., Marchant, R., Sinninghe Damste, J.S., Verschuren, D., 2011. Diversity and ecology of tropical Africa fungal spores from 25,000 year palaeoenvironmental record in southeastern Kenya. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 164, 74-190.
Rucina, S.M., Muiruri, V.M., Downton, L. & Marchant, R., 2010.
Late-Holocene savanna dynamics in the Amboseli Basin, Kenya. The Late-Holocene 20: 667-677.
Marchant, R., Finch, J., Kinyanjui, R., Muiruri, V., Mumbi, C., Platt, P.J.,
Rucina, S.M., S.,2010. Palaeoenvironmental perspectives for sustainable
development in East Africa Climate of the Past 6:, 963-1007.
Rucina, S.M., Muiruri, V.M., Kinyanjui, R.N., McGuiness, K. & Marchant,
R., 2009. Late Quaternary vegetation and fire dynamics on Mount Kenya. Palaeogeography Paleolimnology Palaeoecology 283: 1-14.
Verschuren, D., Sinninghe Damsté, J.S., Moernaut, J., Kristen, I., Blaauw, M., Fagot, M., Haug, G.H. & CHALLACEA project members* (van Geel, B., De Batist, M., Barker, P., Vuille, M., Conley, D., Olago, D.O., Milne, I., Plessen, B., Eggermont, H., Wolff, C., Hurrell, E., Ossebaar, J., Lyaruu, A., van der Plicht, J., Cumming, B.F., Brauer, A.,Rucina, S.M., Russell, J.M., Keppens, E., Hus, J., Bradley, R.S., Leng, M., Mingram, J., Nowaczyk, N.R.), 2009. Half-precessional dynamics of monsoon rainfall near the East African equator Nature 462, 637-641.
Wooller, M.J, Swain D.L, Rucina, S.M., Agnew, A.D.G., Street Perrot F.A., 2000. An altitudianal and stable carbon isotope survey of C3 and C4 graminoids on Mt Kenya. Journal of East African Natural History 90, 69-85.
List of other publications:
Maitima, J., Reid, R.S., Gachimbi, L.N., Majule, A., Lyaruu, H., Pomery, D., Mugatha, S., Rucina, S.M., Mugisha, S., 2004. Regional synthesis paper: The Linkage between landuse change, land degradation and biodiversity across East Africa. LUCID Working Paper Series 42.
Sawada, Y, Sakai, T., Sampei, Y., Ohiro, Yogolelo, H.M., Seto, K., Tanaka, S., Saneyoshi, M., Itaya, T., Hyodo, M., Nakaya, H., Nakatsukasa, M., Kunimatsu, Y., Nakano, Y., Tsujikawa, H., Shimizu, D., Takano, S., Ogiwara, N., Rucina, S.M., Mathu, E.M., Opiyo Akech, N., Olago, D.O., Kabeto, K., Pickford, M., Senut, B. & Ishida, H., 2003.Deciphering the history of environmental change related to human evolution in the Kenya Rift. Geoscince Rept. Shimane Univ. 22, p.1-14.
Rucina, S.M., 2001. Modern pollen-vegetation relationships in the Aberdare
