Abstract
The present study was carried out to determine the effect of water quality on the diversity and distribution of avifauna in urban wetlands. The bird aggregation and physical and chemical parameters of water bodies were assessed using standard field-based methods. The study recorded 67 bird species of 35 families. The bird population parameters were influenced by total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and visibility. The Shannon- Wiener species diversity index (Hˊ) ranged between 0.99±0.05 - 1.71±0.03. The density of aquatic birds and species richness ranged between 1677.45±137.2 - 4990.09±151.3 birdskm-2 and 14.85±0.36 - 22.07±0.68 respectively in the five wetlands studied. Shannon- Wiener diversity index (Hˊ) resulted in significant negative relationships with total dissolved solids (R2=0.716; p<0.05), and salinity (R2=0.919; p<0.01). Bird density was positively related with Secchi disk depth (R² = 0.457; p<0.05). Further, bird density negatively correlated with salinity (R² = 0.568; p<0.05) and total dissolved solids (BD = -0.003TDS + 3.903; R² = 0.566; p<0.05). The results of the principal component analysis indicated Secchi disk depth and dissolved oxygen were extremely influenced on Thalangama tank followed by Heen Ela marsh. For the wetland sites of Beddagana and Kiribathgoda, salinity and total dissolved solids were the extremely influential parameters, where Beddagana and Diyasaru Park had an influence from electrical conductivity on the variation of diversity, density, and species richness of the aquatic birds.
Highlights
We propose the hypothesis that the impairment of water quality in urban wetlands is a direct influence on the diversity and distribution of aquatic bird species
Secchi disk depth (SDD) and Dissolved Oxygen (DO) were extremely influenced on Thalangama Tank followed by Heen Ela marsh (Fig. 5A)
Diyasaru Park had an effect from Electrical Conductivity (EC) on the variation of diversity, density and species richness of the water birds (Fig. 5A)
Summary
The study was carried out in five urban wetlands in the Colombo and its suburbs of Sri Lanka (Fig. 1) viz. Beddagana Wetland Park (BG), Diyasaru Park (DS) situated at Thalawathugoda, Heen Ela marsh (HE) at Nawala, Kiribathgoda wetland area (KG) and Thalangama Tank (TL), ranging in size from 15- 25 ha (IUCN Sri Lanka and Central Environmental Authority (2006); Wetland management strategy 2016). The locations of these wetlands are highly urbanized and enclosed with human or commercial settlements. Variation of annual weather patterns and diversity of vegetation are the key factors of the bird aggregation of these wetland clusters in the study area
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