Kudzai Kaseki

Biography

Farai is a stable isotope ecohydrologist interested in the effects of hydrological processes on the structure and function of ecosystems and the effects of biotic processes on elements of the water cycle in semi-arid and arid environments. Currently, his work focuses on understanding recharge, water partitioning, and water use strategies in riparian habitats to enable modeling of riparian responses to a warming/drying climate with a view to managing these systems, which are a critical part of the dryland system. Farai’s Ph.D. (Indiana University, Indianapolis, 2018) and MSc work (Stellenbosch University, South Africa (2009)) focused on non-rainfall water (fog and dew) as important components of the dryland hydrological cycle (Namib Desert), as well as factors controlling precipitation isotope compositions. Other previous notable works include collaborations with the IAEA - “Stable Isotopes in Precipitation and Paleoclimatic Archives in Tropical Areas (2013 – 2017) and the BIODESERT global survey (Maestrelab). Farai’s current work is supervised by Dr. Singer and Dr. Caylor and includes a collaboration with the IAEA International Water Isotope Inter-Comparison Test (2020).

Research

I am a stable isotope ecohydrologist interested in the effects of hydrological processes on the structure and function of ecosystems and the effects of biotic processes on elements of the water cycle in semi-arid and arid environments. Dryland ecosystem responses to input pulses make them ideal environments or labs to observe, understand and model the potential impact of global climate change on ecosystems, whether investigating the formation and role of non-rainfall water or understanding recharge, water partitioning and water use in riparian habitats. In these environments, local precipitation is often insufficient to recharge groundwater thus recharge is often from waters sourced elsewhere. This results in end members with unique isotope characteristics enabling the application of stable isotopes as tracers to understand hydrology in these environments. In addition to isotope approaches, I also employ field and modeling approaches.

Selected Publications

1. Kaseke, K.F., Wang, L. and Seely, M.K. Non-rainfall water origins and formation mechanisms in the Namib Desert. Science Advances 3 (3), e1603131 doi:10.1126/sciadv.1603131

2. Wang, L., Kaseke, K. F. and Seely, M. K. (2017) Effects of non-rainfall water inputs on ecosystem functions. WIREs Water 2017, 4:e1179, doi/10.1002/wat2.1179

3. Warren-Rhodes, K. A., McKay, C. P., Boyle, L. Ng., Wing, M. R., Kiekebusch, E. M., Cowan, D. A., Stomeo, F., Pointing, S. B., Kaseke, K. F., Eckardt, F., Henschel, J. R., Anisfeld, A., Seely M. K and Rhodes, K. L. (2013) Physical Ecology of Hypolithic Communities in the Central Namib Desert: the Role of Fog, Rain, Rock Habitat and Light. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 118 (4), 1451-1460, doi/10.1002/jgrg.20117

4. Ravi S., Wang L., Kaseke K. F. and Buynevich I. V. (2017) Ecohydrologic interactions within “fairy circles” in the Namib Desert: Revisiting the self-organization hypothesis. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 122 (2), 405-414 doi:10.1002/2016JG003604

5. Tian, C., Jiao, W., Wang, L., Beysens, D., Kaseke, K.F., Medici, M. and Li, F. (2020) Investigating the role of evaporation in dew formation under different climates using 17O-excess. Journal of Hydrology

6. Wang. L, Kaseke, K. F., Ravi, S., Jiao. W., Mushi, R., Shuuya, T. and Maggs‐Kölling, G. (2019) Convergent vegetation fog and dew water use in the Namib Desert. Ecohydrology https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2130

7. Munksgaard, N. C., Ahmed, A., Araguas-Araguas, L., Balachew, D. L., Chakraborty, S., Kien Chinh, N., Cobb, K. M., Ellis, S. A., Esquivel-Hernández, G., Ganyaglo, S. Y., Gao, J., Gastmans, D., Kaseke, K. F., Kebede, S., Morales, M. R., Kurita, N., Sánchez-Murillo, R., Shaoneng, H., Wang, L., Yacobaccio, H. and Zwart, C. (2019) Data Descriptor: Multi-year daily observations of stable isotope compositions in rainfall and calculated stratiform rainfall fractions at tropical stations. Scientific Reports 9:14419 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-50973-9

8. Kaseke, K. F. and Wang, L. Fog and dew as potable water resources - harvesting technique improvements and water quality concerns. GeoHealth 2 (10), 327-332 //doi.org/10.1029/2018GH000171

9. Kaseke, K. F., Wang, L., Tian, C., Wanke, H. and Lanning, M. Rainfall origins and key drivers of precipitation isotope (δ2H, δ18O and δ17O) compositions over Windhoek. Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres 123, 7311-7330 doi.org/10.1029/2018JD028470

10. Tian, C., Wang, L., Kaseke, K. F. and Bird, B. W. Stable isotope compositions (δ2H, δ18O and δ17O) of rainfall and snowfall in the central United States. Scientific Reports 8 (1), 6712- 6712 doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-25102-7