Dust provenance and its role as a potential fertilizing agent for the Okavango Delta, Botswana

Dust from the Makgadikgadi salt pans, located 300 km away, significantly contributes to nutrient enrichment in the Okavango Delta's tree-covered islands, potentially boosting the biodiversity hotspot's productivity. Strontium and neodymium isotope analysis revealed that dust makes up 10–80% of fine-grained island soils, with high bioavailable phosphorus and iron content. This long-term nutrient input from regional dust may play a crucial role in sustaining ecosystem productivity and biogeochemical cycling in the Delta, offering insights into how such wetland systems adapt to climate change.

Humphries, M. S., Benitez‐Nelson, C. R., Bizimis, M., Ralph, T. J., Larkin, Z. T., & McCarthy, T. S. (2020). Dust provenance and its role as a potential fertilizing agent for the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 45(8), 1705–1716. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4840