Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Moçambique

Students of Lund University and UEM do fieldwork in GNP to obtain academic degrees

Jul 14, 2009 - Gorongosa National Park

Two senior students of the Department of Applied Geophysics at Lund University, in Sweden, have been doing fieldwork since the 20th of June 2009 in Gorongosa National Park (GNP).  They will conduct fieldwork, studying the hydrological system of Lake Urema, which will result in the elaboration of their dissertations to obtain a Masters Degree.

The students are Li Stenberg and Kristina Arvidsson.  They join a team of three Mozambicans, one student and two faculty members from the Department of Geology at Eduardo Mondlane University (EMU). 

The research supervisor of the two students is Dr. Torleif Dahlin, Professor at Lund University in Sweden, and Dr. Richard Owen of the University of Zimbabwe, the neighboring land of Robert Mugabe.
 

A student of the oldest institution of higher education in Mozambique (UEM), Félix Uqueio, is collecting data for the elaboration of his scientific monograph for a “licenciatura” diploma. Whereas professor, Luís André Magaia, is developing research for the elaboration of his Masters dissertation and Professor Farisse João Chirindja for his doctorate thesis.  Farisse João Chirindja is the co-supervisor of the Stenberg and Arvidsson’s research. 

According to the Franziska Steinbruch, Manager of Scientific Services at GNP and co-supervisor of the two Lund University students, studies about the hydrological system of the lake Urema will have huge benefits for the Park. 

She said that the study will help to have a better comprehension of the processes that control the quantities of available water in Lake Urema as well as in the plains. 

Steinbruch emphasized, equally, that the importance of this study transcends itself because of the fact that Lake Urema constitutes the main source of water for wildlife and the vitality of Park ecosystems. 

In parallel, she said that without the lake the administration of the "Great Gorongosa" would be forced to create artificial springs to sustain the animals, reptiles and birds.  They totally depend on the river, containing rainwater, and water from hydrographical basins that drain in a natural depression. 

Because of this, as she stated, in order to guarantee the maintenance of river basins (aquifers), it is important know the hydrologic operation system that runs through both Gorongosa Mountain Range and the Baruè plateau in Manica province, through the channel of the Nhandugue River that drains in the Urema Valley. 

On the other hand, she said that all the water sources that feed the lake originate outside of the limits of the Park and are subject to several uses causing negative or positive impacts on the quality and quantity of water.  For this very reason a hydrological study is crucial.


Therefore, the GNP Department of Conservation expects to obtain valuable recommendations from the educational studies for better-modified management of water resources of the Park. 

Lake Urema is situated in the middle of a rift valley, in the southern section of the Park.  It facilitates the creation of a complex mosaic of small ecosystems that contain an abundance and diversity of wildlife. 

The work being done by Stenberg and Arvidsson about the hydrological system of Lake Urema is being developed as a progression from the results obtained in a first research project carried out last year by another student of the Department of Applied Geophysics at Lund University. 

The investigation is done on the basis of using techniques of modern technology, such as multi-resistance measurements to a depth of 60m, teledetection using satellite images, geological and morphological mapping, collecting soil samples to a depth of 10m, and measurements of river currents and replenishment of the river basins.
 

The research has the tripartite financing of SIDA - SAREC – a project of Lund University and EMU, of the Swedish Minor Research Fund, and of the Biodiversity Project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) - Gorongosa Restoration Project. 

It is important to articulate that fieldwork, with an aim to elaborate a scientific monograph, a dissertation or a thesis, is an indispensable requirement to conclude undergraduate or postgraduate (Masters or specialization) studies, in addition to a PhD, respectively, aiming to evaluate the capacity of a student in the elaboration and application of knowledge and acquired competences in several curricular disciplines in the field of the educational program. 

Through a deep study about a subject and as requirements to obtain the diploma concluding the course, the students should show a capacity to identify, analyze and resolve a technical or scientific problem and evaluate the solution, present and document the result in a written report that can be of a popular character, or take the form of a scientific article. 

Pictures:  Carlitos Sunza and Franziska Steinbruch
Text:  Carlitos Sunza (Department of Communications/GNP)