Rainforest change analysis in Eastern Africa: A new multisourced, semi-quantitative approach to investigating more than 100 years of forest cover disturbance [Elektronische Ressource] / Nicholas Mitchell. Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät

Rainforest change analysis in Eastern Africa: A new multi-sourced, semi-quantitative approach to investigating more than 100 years of forest cover disturbance Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades (Dr. rer. nat.) der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn vorgelegt von Nicholas Mitchell aus Somerset, Great Britain Submittted September 2010 Angefertigt mit Genehmigung der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn 1. Gutachter: Professor Dr. G. Menz 2. Gutachter: Professor Dr. W. Schenk 3. Fachnahes Mitglied: Professor Dr. B. Reichert 4. Fachangrenzendes Mitglied: Professor Dr. G. Schaab Tag der Promotion: 26. Januar, 2011 Erscheinungsjahr: 2011 Abstract Forest change and disturbance of the past strongly influence the state of today‟s forests and their biodiversity. However, knowledge of former forest landscape states can be subject to misunderstanding and the practical management of forests requires the establishment of correct narratives of forest cover change. This thesis therefore investigates the long-term forest change and anthropogenic factors at work within three tropical rain forests of high biodiversity and high use value in Kenya and Uganda.