Bird Diversity in Nensebo Moist Afromontane Forest Fragment, South Eastern Ethiopia.

Birds are one of the components of biodiversity. Avian community studies are effective tools for monitoring a forest ecosystem. The status of birds in the present study areas is very little known. Therefore, the objective of the study was to assess species composition and relative abundance of birds at Nansebo forest in southern Ethiopia. To this end, a stratified random sampling technique was employed. Accordingly, to collect data for the study, the whole habitat of the study area was divided into dominant vegetation types. Accordingly, Moist Afromontane forest and modified habitat were identified in Nansebo forest. A line transects count aided by binocular was employed to investigate avian species diversity and relative abundance. Accordingly, 20 transect lines of 1km with a width of 0.25km or less was used to cover 27.75% of the area in Nansebo forest. Quantitative Biodiversity indices such as H’,E ,γ and α to measure species richness were used to calculate the bird species diversity and two way- ANOVA was used to test for significant variation in species richness and abundance per season among habitats. A total of 105 bird species consisting of 1endemic, 8 near endemics, 1 globally threatened and 9 Palearctic migrants were recorded in Nansebo forest. Species richness and abundance varied between the three habitats in Nansebo forest. There was significant difference in species richness among habitats in Nansebo forest (F1, 18=94.657 P=0.000) at 0.001 significance level. In Nansebo forest the highest Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’ = 4.17) was recorded from the modified habitat. It can be concluded that the area has high species diversity including endemics and endangered species. It can also be good potential for bird watching tourism that can integrate economic gain with biodiversity conservation. Hence, urgent conservation measures and further detail research is recommended to conserve the bird species. Keywords/Phrases : Avian species, Habitat types, Species richness, Species similarity DOI : 10.7176/JBAH/9-5-04 Publication date :March 31 st 2019

The present study was carried out in Arbegona Garemba forest from August June 2017 to February 2018 during wet and dry seasons. The study area was stratified based on vegetation composition. Accordingly, Modified habitat, Alpine bamboo forest, and Sub-Afro alpine /Ericaceous belt/ were considered. A line transects count aided by binocular was employed to investigate avian species diversity, relative abundance and Habitat association. Thus10 transect lines of 0.75km lengths with a width of 0.15km or less wereused to cover 30% of the area. A total of 74 bird species consisting of 5 near endemics, 2 globally threatened and 3 Palearctic migrants were recorded.Average vegetation height was a good predictor for total bird abundance and bird species richness during dry season. Altitude accounted more in total species richness and bird species abundance during wet season. Though, slope was a good predictor for bird species abundance during dry season. It can be concluded that the patch of forest and its surrounding is an important bird area for migratory, endemic, and global threatened species. Therefore, it should be conservation priority area; hence, the study suggests that conservation together with ecotourism development is needed for its sustainability. Keywords/Phrases : Avian species, Habitat types, Habitat association, Species similarity DOI : 10.7176/ALST/75-03 Publication date :June 30 th 2019

A study on avian species composition, relative abundance, and habitat association at Nansebo forest was carried out from June 2017 - February 2018 during wet and dry seasons. To collect data for the study, the whole habitat of the study area was divided into dominant vegetation types. Accordingly, habitat of the study area was divided into moist Afromontane forest and modified habitat in Nansebo forest. A line transects count aided by binocular was employed to investigate avian species diversity, relative abundance and Habitat association. Therefore 20 transect lines of 1km lengths with a width of 0.25km or less were used to cover 27.75% of the area in Nansebo forest. A total of 105 bird species of which 1 endemic, 8 near endemics, 1 globally threatened and 9 Palearctic migrants were recorded in Nansebo forest. Species richness and abundance varied between the three and two habitats. There was significant difference in species richness among habitats (F1, 18=94.657 P=0.000) in Nansebo forest. In Nansebo forest the highest Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’ = 4.17) recorded from the modified habitat. It can be concluded that both area has high species diversity including endemics and endangered species. It can also be good potential for bird watching tourism that can integrate economic gain with biodiversity conservation. Hence, urgent conservation measures and further detail research is recommended to conserve the bird species. Key words/Phrases : Avian species, Habitat types, Species richness, Species similarity DOI : 10.7176/ALST/74-03 Publication date :May 31 st 2019

Changes in natural habitats by man in the tropics, especially through change in land use constitute a great threat to biodiversity. Habitat modification as a result of human population growth and development activities are the leading causes of biodiversity loss, including decline in bird species abundance and richness. Human activities such as bush burning, felling of trees, indiscriminate dumping of refuse, illegal mining activities are common sight at the Jos Wildlife. This study determined the distribution of bird species abundance and richness in disturbed areas of the Jos Wildlife Park namely mining, logged, gallery forest and savanna sites at the Jos Wildlife Park. The Jos Wildlife Park is located within the Jos Plateau of Plateau State, North-central Nigeria (09°53'N and 08°58'E). This forms a unique vegetation unit, within the GuineoCongolian/Sudanian Regional Transition Zone. SPSS statistical software was used to analyze data. A total of 527 individual birds, 66 bird species in 35 families were recorded in July 2023. Although there was no significant difference in bird species abundance across the savanna, logged, mining and gallery forest sites, data showed that Savanna Site had the highest bird species abundance. There was no significant difference in bird species richness across the savanna, logged, mining and gallery forest sites, although data showed that Gallery Forest had the highest bird species richness. We conclude that bird species abundance and richness at the Jos Wildlife Park were recorded in denser vegetation compared with areas with less dense and sparsely distributed vegetation.

Ethiopia is rich in biodiversity resources. Birds are one of the components of biodiversity. The status of birds in the present study areas is very little known. The objective of the study was to assess species composition and relative abundance of birds at geremba mountain fragment in southern Ethiopia. A stratified random sampling technique was employed. Accordingly, to collect data for the study, the whole habitat of the study area was each divided into dominant vegetation types. Consequently, Modified habitat, Alpine bamboo forest, and Sub-Afro alpine /Ericaceous belt were identified in geremba mountain fragment. A line transects count aided by binocular was employed to investigate avian species diversity, relative abundance and habitat association. Thus, 10 transect lines of 0.75km with a width of 0.15km or less was used to cover 30% of the area in geremba mountain fragment. Quantitative Biodiversity indices such as H’,E ,γ and α to measure species richness were used to calculate the bird species diversity and two way- ANOVA was used to test for significant variation in species richness and abundance per season among habitats. A total of 74 bird species consisting of 5 near endemics, 2 globally threatened and 3 Palearctic migrants were recorded in geremba mountain fragment. Species richness and abundance varied between the three habitats in geremba mountain fragment. There was significant difference in species richness among habitats in geremba mountain fragment (F2, 11=54.932 P=0.000) at 0.001 significance level. In geremba mountain fragment the highest Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’ = 3.78) was recorded from the modified habitat while the lowest from the Sub Afro -alpine habitat (H’ = 1.84). It can be concluded that the area has high species diversity good potential for bird watching tourism that can integrate economic gain with biodiversity conservation. Hence, urgent conservation measures and further detail research is recommended to conserve the bird species. Keywords/Phrases : Avian species, Habitat types, Species richness, Species similarity DOI : 10.7176/ALST/71-01

Ethiopia is rich in biodiversity resources. Birds are one of the components of biodiversity. The status of birds in the present study areas is very little known. The objective of the study was to assess species composition and relative abundance of birds at geremba mountain fragment in southern Ethiopia. A stratified random sampling technique was employed. Accordingly, to collect data for the study, the whole habitat of the study area was each divided into dominant vegetation types. Consequently, Modified habitat, Alpine bamboo forest, and Sub-Afro alpine /Ericaceous belt were identified in geremba mountain fragment. A line transects count aided by binocular was employed to investigate avian species diversity, relative abundance and habitat association. Thus, 10 transect lines of 0.75km with a width of 0.15km or less was used to cover 30% of the area in geremba mountain fragment. Quantitative Biodiversity indices such as H’,E ,γ and α to measure species richness were used to calculate the bird species diversity and two way- ANOVA was used to test for significant variation in species richness and abundance per season among habitats. A total of 74 bird species consisting of 5 near endemics, 2 globally threatened and 3 Palearctic migrants were recorded in geremba mountain fragment. Species richness and abundance varied between the three habitats in geremba mountain fragment. There was significant difference in species richness among habitats in geremba mountain fragment (F2, 11=54.932 P=0.000) at 0.001 significance level. In geremba mountain fragment the highest Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’ = 3.78) was recorded from the modified habitat while the lowest from the Sub Afro -alpine habitat (H’ = 1.84). It can be concluded that the area has high species diversity good potential for bird watching tourism that can integrate economic gain with biodiversity conservation. Hence, urgent conservation measures and further detail research is recommended to conserve the bird species. Keywords/Phrases : Avian species, Habitat types, Species richness, Species similarity DOI : 10.7176/ALST/70-01

The delineation of unique areas in biodiversity is crucial for conservation planning. However, identification of distinct biotas is a challenging task. In this study, we use an objective analytical process to test if bird and plant species composition of three different forest formation in the Atlantic forest Biome is sufficiently distinct to merit the recognition of ecoregions. We also evaluated how current climatic and spatial factors shape the distribution of plants and birds. Sampling localities were selected in three forest types of southern Brazil: mixed rain forest (MF), seasonal semi‐deciduous forest (SF) and dense rain forest (DF). The point‐centred quarter method and point counts were used to sample plants and birds respectively. Multivariate analyses were used to evaluate species composition, while the Rank Occupancy Abundance Profile was used to determine the association of bird species with each forest type. We used variation partitioning to determine which factors, that is climatic, spatial or tree species abundance (in the case of birds) better explained the distribution of plants and birds. A total of 176 tree species and 270 bird species were recorded. The bird species composition was sufficiently distinct among the three forest types, but the plant species composition was only distinct between DF and MF. Moreover, 61% of bird species were associated with only one forest type. This high association and the different species composition suggest that these forest types are sufficiently distinct to merit the recognition of ecoregions. Plant distribution was mainly affected by climatic variables, while bird distribution was mainly influenced by forest type and less so by climatic variables. Our data suggest that all three forest types should be conserved, but conservation strategies are urgent in MF where only 0.39% of its original cover is under protection.

Land use cover changes the bird distribution and functional groups at the local and landscape level in a Mexican shaded-coffee agroforestry system

ABSTRACTAimFire significantly contributes to Amazonian degradation, with igapó forests (seasonally flooded by blackwater rivers) being especially vulnerable. Igapó forests support species adapted to seasonal flooding, making fire a critical threat to these specialised organisms. Birds, due to their habitat specialisation, can provide insight into fire's impact on this environment. We investigated how fire events over time affect bird species richness and composition in igapó forests of the Negro River basin.LocationNegro River basin, Northwest Amazon.MethodsWe conducted bird surveys at 55 sites using autonomous recorders, totalling 2365 h of recordings. Sites included 18 control areas (igapó forests without fire from 1984 to 2022) and 37 burned sites (fire occurrence from 1984 to 2017). We compared bird species richness and composition across igapó treatments and analysed the effects of canopy cover and understorey density changes due to fire.ResultsBurned areas showed higher bird species richness than unburned areas. Species composition was more similar in areas burned more than 20 years ago compared to recently burned areas (< 10 years), although full recovery was not achieved. Species replacement was the main component affecting beta diversity. Canopy cover was the only variable directly influenced by time after fire. Both bird species composition and richness were directly affected by time after fire, though composition was also indirectly influenced through canopy cover.Main ConclusionsFire has a direct effect on species richness and composition. Canopy cover is more affected by time after fire than understorey density, also influencing bird species composition. A period of 38 years appeared insufficient for the full recovery of the bird community. Urgent measures for fire monitoring, preservation, and restoration of igapó remnants are essential.

Avian species in relation to plant community can be used to determine the health status of the ecosystem. Habitat destruction can lead to extinction of many bird species as well as other plant communities. The study was conducted for three (3) months to determine the variation in avian species diversity and abundance in four different adjacent habitat structures: Farmland, Gallery Forest, Rocky Outcrops and Uncultivated Grassland, all located at Zone 8 area of Lokoja, Kogi State. The Line Transect method was used to collect data from the entire study area where 2000 m transect was marked and further divided into short sections of 100m with 50m distance apart. Each marked section was sampled ten (10) times from 6:30 am to 10:00 am. Birds’ species encountered were identified using the field guide and songs. Species diversity was determined using the Shannon-Weiner diversity index (H). The study recorded a total number of 4,490 individuals of 110 species belonging to 32 families. Farmland had the highest number of individuals with a total of 1,228 individuals belonging to 92 species, followed by the Gallery Forest with a total of 652 belonging to 95 species, followed by uncultivated grassland with a total of 339 individuals belonging to 65 species and the Rocky outcrop with a total of 122 individuals belonging to 55 species. Bird species abundance between the habitat types differ significantly (p<0.05). The Gallery Forest was the most diverse in bird species with a mean diversity index (H=3.55), though diversity between the habitat was not statistically different (p>0.05). The findings from this study indicate that Zone 8 is rich in avian species diversity. Therefore, there is need to conserve this area from activities that might contribute to habitat loss, which can lead to extinction of some bird species and possibly plants community in the nearest future.

Maximizing biodiversity persistence in heterogeneous human-modified landscapes is hindered by the complex interactions between habitat quality and configuration of native and non-native habitats. Here we examined these complex interactions considering avian diversity across 26 sampling sites, each of which comprised of three sampling points located across a gradient of disturbance: core native habitat fragment, fragment edge, and non-native adjacent matrix. The 78 sampling points were further nested within three neotropical biomes—Amazonia, Cerrado and Pantanal—in central-western Brazil. Matrix type consisted of cattle pastures in the Amazon and teak plantations in the Pantanal and Cerrado. We considered the interactive effects of (1) disturbance-context: fragment core, edge and adjacent matrix, (2) matrix type: tree plantation or cattle pastures, both subject to varying land-use intensity, and (3) native habitat configuration (fragment size, shape and isolation) on bird species richness, abundance and composition. Based on point-count surveys, we recorded 210 bird species. Bird species richness and abundance declined across the disturbance gradient, while genus composition only differed within the adjacent matrix, particularly cattle-pastures. The effect of native habitat area was positive but only detected at fragment edges. Overall bird diversity increased at sites characterized by higher availability of either relict trees within pasture landscapes or old-growth trees within teak plantation landscapes. The core of native fragments played a primary role in ensuring the persistence of bird diversity, regardless of fragment size. In contrast to pastures, tree plantations likely harbour a higher proportion of forest-dependent species while bird diversity can be further enhanced by reduced management intensity in both matrix types. Strategies to maximize avian persistence should not only include retaining native habitats, but also maximizing the size of core native habitats. Likewise, more structurally complex matrix types should be encouraged while maintaining low levels of land-use intensity.

AimThe aim of this study was to assess the influence of island area, distance to source pool, latitude, habitat diversity and habitat type on species richness of forest birds in the Andaman islands.LocationThe Andaman islands (India) in the Bay of Bengal.MethodsThe distributions of 47 species of forest birds were surveyed on 45 islands in the Andaman islands across a latitudinal gradient. The size of the island and distance to the nearest large island were assessed on a satellite image of 1 : 250,000 scale. The number and types of habitats and the species richness of birds on each island were recorded during a field survey. The effects of the variables measured on the species richness of forest birds were assessed using regression analyses. The best fit models were selected for interpretation of the results. Separate analyses were conducted with selected islands to eliminate the effects of latitude and to control the effects of area and habitat diversity.ResultsThe number of species of forest birds was strongly influenced by island area and habitat diversity. However the key determinant of species richness was habitat type, particularly the presence of wet forests. Wet forests, either semi‐evergreen or evergreen tropical forests are more common towards the southern islands and are usually restricted to larger islands.Main conclusionsArea, habitat diversity and the presence of wet forests on islands significantly influenced species richness of forest birds. The wet forests maintain the biodiversity of the Andamans and should be regarded as a ‘keystone habitat’. This is probably because wet forests are species rich and also because the Andaman biota has affinities with that of the Malay peninsula where wet forests predominate. Therefore biogeographical history probably plays an important role in influencing biodiversity at a regional scale.

This is the first report of the avian assemblage in the study area of Dutse, Nigeria. In addition to recording bird species, the effects of season, dominant vegetation structure, locality and anthropogenic activities on bird abundance, species richness and diversity were investigated. Using the point transect method, 264 points on 48 km of transect were used to count birds between 06:30 and 11:00 from August 2015 to February 2016. A total of 122 bird species of 41 families were recorded. Highest bird species richness was recorded in Warwade, highest abundance in Model, and highest diversity in Malamawa. The dry season and woodland habitat showed higher bird species richness, abundance and diversity than the wet season and shrubland habitat. Tree density was more important in increasing bird abundance than shrub density. Small-scale anthropogenic activities and habitat modification, such as farming, grazing, wood removal and human interference did not appear to have impacted the birds; however, loss of high tree-density woodland habitats may pose a major threat to the bird community in Dutse. The presence of birds of concern in the area suggests the need for conservation efforts of avifauna and as well as the forested habitats in Dutse.


 Birds are important bio-indicators and provide various ecosystem services including pollination, dispersal, and pest control. However, they are threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation. Study on species diversity, relative abundance, and habitat associations of avifauna were conducted in Tara Gedam Monastery forest patch and associated habitats from July 2016 to April 2017. Stratified random sampling approach was used to classify habitats and select sampling plots based on vegetation type. Consequently, forest, bushland, farmland, and plantation habitats were used for data collection. Point count and line transect methods were used to collect data, and Shannon-Weiner and Simpson’s diversity indices were used to estimate the avian species diversity. One-way ANOVA was conducted to compare avian relative abundance and richness among the different habitat types. A total of 98 species of birds belonging to 14 orders and 41 families were recorded in Tara Gedam Monastery forest and associated habitats. Eighty-seven resident bird species and eleven Palearctic migrants were identified of which seven species are endemic to Ethiopia and Eritrea. The highest avian diversity (H’=4.23) was recorded in the study area during the wet season.The highest species similarity index (SI=0.47) was recorded between forest and bushland habitats during the wet season, while the lowest similarity index (SI=0.07) was found between bush-land and farmland habitats during the dry season. Species richness and relative abundance of bird species varied between the wet and dry seasons. Besides birds, Tara Gedam Monastery forest supports a large number of other wild fauna species, which indicates the area’s potential to support biodiversity. Therefore, there must be a collaborative work between the monastery and different governmental and non-governmental organizations to protect the entire ecosystem in order to conserve the whole biodiversity of the area in general and the avifauna in particular.

We assessed the relationship between habitat heterogeneity and bird species richness and composition within wetlands of the floodplain of the Middle Parana River, Argentina. Given the high habitat heterogeneity in these wetland systems, we sought to determine whether (i) there was a positive relationship between bird species richness and habitat heterogeneity; (ii) whether bird species richness was associated with certain types of individual habitat types; (iii) whether there was a pattern of species nestedness and turnover between sites as a function of habitat heterogeneity and composition, respectively; and (iv) whether individual species exhibited associations with habitat heterogeneity. Point counts were used to survey birds at 60 sites. We estimated the area of eight habitat types found within a 200-m radius from the centre of each site and calculated number and Pielou's evenness of habitat types. These indices, together with area proportion of each habitat type, were used as explanatory factors of bird species richness in linear regression models. Habitat heterogeneity per se rather than area of individual habitat types was a more important predictor of species richness in these fluvial wetlands. Sites with more habitat types supported more bird species. Results showed that individual bird species were associated with different habitat types and, therefore, sites that contained more habitat types contained more species. Number of habitat types accounted for species nestedness between sites whereas composition of habitat types accounted for species turnover between sites. Results suggest that selection of heterogeneous sites by individual species could help explain the positive heterogeneity–species richness relationship. Our findings highlight the importance of habitat heterogeneity per se resulting from flood disturbances in maintaining bird richness in fluvial systems.