Diversity and Seasonal Variation of Avifauna along the Eastern Rapti River, Hetauda, Nepal

Abstract. Shah SB, Sharma HP. 2022. Bird diversity and factors affecting bird abundance at Dullu Municipality, Dailekh, Nepal. Biodiversitas 23: 1535-1545. Bird distribution, diversity, and abundance in any ecosystem are determined by seasonality, disturbances, and availability of resources. The point count method was used for bird surveys during the winter and summer season to identify the bird diversity and factors affecting bird abundance in 2020 at Dailekh District, Nepal. Altogether 98 bird species belonging to 11 orders and 38 families were recorded. The highest species richness was found for order Passeriformes and Muscicapidae family. Among recorded species, the higher species richness of birds was found during winter than summer season, and 52 bird species were observed at both seasons. These birds were more evenly distributed in summer than in the winter season. Among 98 species, the higher bird species were resident (91%), followed by winter migrants (7%), and remaining 2% of birds were summer and passage migrants. Himalayan Vulture (Gyps himalayensis Hume, 1869) and Alexandrine Parakeet (Palaeornis eupatria Linnaeus, 1766) were near threatened species found in the study area. Forest habitats had more diverse bird species than agricultural land. Different environmental parameters such as nearest distance to the water source, canopy cover, and nearest distance to forest habitat significantly affected bird occurrences. The species richness was positively correlated with the nearest distance to agricultural land for both seasons; however, it decreased with increasing distance to water source and canopy cover. In the study area, migratory, residential, endemic, and threatened bird species indicated the uniqueness of the bird habitat in the area; therefore, a site-specific management plan is necessary to conserve these bird species.

A study on diversity, status, and habitat preference of avifauna was conducted from November 2017 to October 2018 in Magura Sadar upazila, Magura. Data was collected through direct field observations using line-transect method. Field surveys were made for three days per month in both rural and urban sites. A total of 140 species of birds belonged to 18 orders and 48 families were reported. Among the total species, 55% (77 species) were non-passerines and 45% (63 species) passerines with the highest individuals were counted under order Passeriformes. Resident bird species were dominant (106 species, 75.71%) over migratory (34 species, 24.28%) species. Species richness was the highest in the rural areas (124 species, 88.57%) and occurrence was the highest in winter season (97 species, 69.29%). The maximum species were recorded from trees (87 species, 62.14%) as preferred habitat. In this study, in total 4,060 individuals of birds were counted and among them, 51.55% (n=2093) were observed in the rural areas and 48.45% (n=1967) were in the urban areas. The highest number of birds was found in December (10.34%, n=432) and seasonal abundance was the highest in winter (40.15%, n=1630). Abundance was the highest for Common Myna (5.76%, n=234) among all recorded species. Diversity indices showed that the bird species were the most diverse in the rural areas in the winter season and in July. Habitat diversity indices were the highest for trees and birds used different types of habitats at different times for roosting, breeding and feeding. Regarding the observation status, 29.28% species was very common, 4.28% common, 31.42% fairly common, and 35% were few. This baseline data indicate that this study site is significant from the ecological and conservation point of views. Therefore, further research is necessary to understand how this avian diversity is maintained in this ecological setting.
 Bangladesh J. Zool. 48(2): 441-456, 2020

The study of bird species diversity and richness in Dagona-Waterfowl sanctuary was carried out in early wet and late dry seasons. This was to provide some information on the wild birds of the sanctuary. Dagona sanctuary is located within the Bade-Nguru wetland sector; it is one of the important bird areas strategized for the conservation of avifauna species in Sub-Sahara region, Nigeria. Line transect method was used to carry out birds’ survey at three different lake sites, namely: Gatsu (Site:1), Mariam (Site: 2) and Oxbow (Site: 3). The data were analyzed with the Kolmogorov- Smirnov test to determine the distribution level of the birds. The birds’ diversity was assessed using Shannon-Weiner diversity index. The results showed that bird species diversity was not equally distributed in the sites Site 2 had the highest diversity with an index of 2.74 compared to Site 1 with 1.84 and Site 3 with 1.62. Likewise, bird species diversity in the area was normally distributed birds’ abundance were significantly different (P<0.05) among the three sites. Site 1 had the highest number of bird (16.36) compared to Site 2 (14.32) and Site 3 (11.51). It was observed that there was a significant relationship between vegetation density and bird species diversity; because as tree density increases, diversity of bird species decreases. Therefore, there is a significant relationship between vegetation density and bird species diversity. Total number of 135 bird species in 40 families was recorded during the survey. Seventy-four percent were found in site1, sixty-three percent in Site 2 and seventy-one percent in Site 3. The birds that were observed during this study were made up of resident (Ardeidae family), migratory (Accipitridae family) and palearctic species (yellow wagtail, warblers, northern shoveler and sandpipers). It can be concluded that wild birds are good indicators of the ecosystem, revealing the state of the wetland. Some sites were more disturbed, as observed in site: 1 and site: 3. It was however recommended that regular monitoring of the sites should be carried out so as to control changes in the state of wetland ecosystem. Key words: Wetland, birds, diversity, richness, vegetation

Assessing the robustness and uncertainties of projected changes in temperature and precipitation in AR4 Global Climate Models over the Arabian Peninsula

This study was prepared for the purpose of demonstrating the possibility of utilizing wastewater for irrigation purposes, as eight stations were identified for study in Babylon Governorate in the winter and summer seasons of the year 2022. The pH values ranged from (0.02-8.13) in stations (9 and 3) in the winter and (2022) seasons. 7.44-9.3) at stations (9 and 3) in the summer season, and the electrical conductivity values ranged from (1.12-9.9) DS. m-1 at stations (9 and 6) in the winter season and (4.52-10.39) DS. m-1 at stations (9). 6) In the summer season, calcium ion concentrations were recorded (6.6-18.98) Meq. L−1 at stations (10 and 3) in the winter season, and (6.5-26.03) Meq. L−1 at stations (9 and 3) in In the summer season, magnesium concentrations ranged from (2.5-15.1) Meq.L-1 in stations (9 and 6) in the winter season and (5.8-22.3) Meq.L-1 in stations (9 and 6) in the summer season, while The concentrations of potassium ions in the water of the study stations ranged between (0.52-0.94) mg L−1 in stations (9 and 6) in the winter season and (0.62-1.29) mg L-1 in stations 9 and 6) in the summer season. Sodium (0.13-0.86) mg L-1 in stations (6 and 9) in the winter season and (0.15-0.96) mg L−1 in stations (9 and 9) in the summer season. The concentrations of chloride and sulfate ions in the water of the study stations also varied as Chloride ions were recorded (10-38.6) Meq. L−1 at stations (9 and 4) in the winter season, and (11.4-64) Meq. L−1 at stations (9 and 10) in the summer season. Concentrations of sulfate ions were recorded in water. The study stations are (10-38.5) Meq L−1 in stations (9 and 6) in the winter season and (11.4-54) Meq L−1 in stations (9 and 6) in the summer season. The results of the study showed that the concentrations of (calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chloride, and sulfates) are high in the summer season due to the industrial wastes and agricultural activities that throw fertilizers and pesticides into the sewage water, in addition to high temperatures and increased evaporation processes, which leads to Increasing their concentration, and the highest concentrations of heavy metals were recorded in the septic tank water for the summer season, higher than their concentrations in the winter season. The concentrations of lead, camium, and nickel ranged from (0.25-2.21) mg L−1 - and (0.01-0.06) mg L−1 - and (0.31- 2.34) mg L−1 in stations (9 and 3), (9 and 4) and (10 and 3) in the winter season, respectively, and (0.45-3.23) mg L−1, (0.01-0.07) and (0.31-2.34) in Stations (9 and 3), (9 and 4), and (3 and 10) in the summer season. The reason for this is the disposal of waste from agricultural activities and sewage waste, as well as excessive fertilization and low efficiency of the fertilizers used, which are thrown into nearby drains and then adsorbed on the clay particles or deposited at the bottom of the drains. This is what happened in stations (3 and 4), while the cases were not like that in the rest of the stations. The study also showed that the concentration of lead and cadmium was within the permissible limits, except for cadmium, which exceeded the permissible limits.

The permafrost in the polar regions is vital for maintaining the status quo of the earth's climate by limiting greenhouse gas emissions. The present study aims to investigate the seasonal variations and the influence of physicochemical parameters on the bacterial diversity and community structure of active layer permafrost (AL) around Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. The AL soil samples were collected from four different geographical locations around Ny-Ålesund during the winter and summer seasons. The 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing was carried out to investigate the diversity and distribution profiles of bacterial communities among the collected AL samples. Physico-chemical parameters including soil pH, moisture content, total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), and trace metals concentrations were measured. Bacterial phyla, Proteobacteria (15.4%-26%) and Chloroflexi (9.6%-22.5%) were predominantly distributed across both seasons. In the winter samples, Verrucomicrobiota (14.12%-23.39%) phylum, consisting of genera Chthoniobacter and Opitutus were highly abundant (Lefse, p < 0.05), whereas in summer bacterial genera belonging to Gemmatimonadota (3.3%-13.74%) and Acidobacteriota (18.02%-28.52%) phyla were highly abundant. The bacterial richness and diversity index were not significantly different between the winter and summer seasons. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) has revealed a distinct grouping between two seasons (PERMANOVA, p < 0.05). Bacterial community structure was significantly varied between winter and summer seasons, whereas the physico-chemical variable, TN, influenced the community structure. About 37.8% of the total operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were shared between seasons, whereas 25.4% and 36.8% of OTUs were unique to the summer and winter seasons. The present study revealed that the conditions prevailing during winter and summer has shaped bacterial community structure in AL samples albeit the stable diversity and most of the variation was explained by TN, indicating its critical role in oligotrophic permafrost.

The present investigation was designed to study certain morphological and biochemical characteristics of epididymal washings/plasma during winter and summer season in the bucks. These studies were undertaken with the view to find out the effects of summer season on the epididymal physiology of bucks. The spermatozoa of the cauda epididymis showed higher mass motility as compared to corpus epididymis and caput epididymis in which they were non-motile in both the seasons. The total protein content (g/dl) was increased significantly (P less than 0.01) in summer season as compared to winter season in the epididymis of experimental bucks. Epididymal cholesterol content was comparable during summer season and winter season. pH of all the epididymal portions during both seasons was detected to be 6.7. The higher sodium ion concentration was found in caput epididymis during winter season. In caput, corpus and cauda, the concentration of potassium was comparable during summer and winter seasons. Serum cortisol and T3 concentrations were significantly (P less than 0.05) increased during summer as compared to the winter season.

Summary The Indian riverine buffaloes are more susceptible to variations in the environment. These variations affect seminal plasma proteins, which in turn affect fertility. This study was conducted to evaluate variations in the Indian Bubalus bubalis seminal plasma protein profile using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) during winter and summer seasons, and its relation with sperm motility and viability. The nine ejaculates from three animals were from winter season while the other nine ejaculates from the same animals were from summer season. The semen samples collected from all bulls in both seasons have similar characteristics of mass activity and total concentration. However, sperm viability was significantly higher in winter season. The 2D-PAGE pattern displayed 42, 29 and 28 protein spots during winter season while 44, 29 and 29 spots during summer season for the first, second and third bull, respectively. Ultra high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) was performed to identify expressed protein spots in winter and summer seasons. During both seasons, four commonly expressed protein spots B6 (pI 8.5, Mr 122.54 kDa), B7 (pI 9.7, Mr 89.98 kDa), B9 (pI 9.3, Mr 19.72 kDa) and B10 (pI 9.7, Mr 16.80 kDa) were identified as glucose phosphate isomerase, epididymal secretory protein E1, peroxiredoxin 5 precursor and tubulin polymerization-promoting protein, respectively. These proteins are involved in either the mechanism of sperm maturation or structural formation. In addition, B37W (pI 6.0, Mr 32.88 kDa), B48W (pI 8.2, Mr 80.14 kDa), B59W (pI 5.6, Mr 90.37 kDa) and B61W (pI 5.8, Mr 15.34 kDa) were differentially expressed protein spots in winter season only. Spots B37W, B48W, B59W, B61W, B6, B7, B9 and B10 were identified as phosphoglycerate kinase LOC538592, androgen regulated protein, hypothetical protein LOC514663, sorbitol dehydrogenase, glucose phosphate isomerase, epididymal secretory protein E1, peroxiredoxin 5 precursor and tubulin polymerization-promoting protein family member. These proteins are known to have modulating properties on sperm motility and viability and also to provide high energy source to sperm. The better fertilizing ability of bull during winter season can be due to the differentially expressed proteins.

Wetlands serve as crucial habitats for diverse bird species, playing a vital role in maintaining the ecosystem. Geographical location, climate, hydrology, and vegetation composition of wetlands determine the diversity of birds. This study investigated species richness, seasonal diversity, and composition of wetland birds in three prominent water bodies of western Nepal, namely Ghodaghodi, Rani, and Jokhar lakes, from 2021 to 2022 in summer and winter using the point count method. We observed 59 wetland bird species across three wetlands, where both the richness and diversity were significantly higher in the winter. Paired t-tests revealed significant seasonal differences (p < 0.001) in diversity, species richness, and abundance at both Ghodaghodi and Rani lakes. The highest species richness was observed at Ghodaghodi (n = 58), reflecting its significance as a vital bird habitat. In contrast, diversity was higher in Rani Lake during both seasons (Winter H = 2.98, Summer H = 2.79). NMDS followed by ANISOM test also showed that bird community structure varies across lakes and seasons. Indicator species analysis showed that out of 59 species, 26 species are associated with one or different sites, whereas 18 of them are associated with the summer or winter season. We observed the Anatidae family with the highest relative diversity (RDI = 28.81%) and reported 1 globally vulnerable species and 7 globally near-threatened species. While in Jokhar Lake, the abundance does not vary between the seasons. This study revealed substantial differences in bird species across seasons and lakes showing that each wetland offers a distinct ecological niche for bird species. The findings reinstate the importance of these wetlands as crucial habitats for the diversity of birds and species composition. This research contributes to the conservation and management of these ecosystems, aiding the protection of wetland birds in Nepal.

Understanding factors determining the distribution of species is a key requirement for protecting diversity in a specific area. The aim of this study was to explore the factors affecting diversity and distribution of species of birds on different forested hills in central Nepal. The area is rich in species of birds. Because the area is characterized by steep gradients, we were also interested in the importance of altitude in determining the diversity and species composition of the bird communities. We assessed bird diversity and species composition based on point observations along a gradient of increasing altitude in two valleys (Kathmandu and Palung) in central Nepal. Data on environmental variables were also collected in order to identify the main determinants of bird diversity and species composition of the bird communities. We recorded 6522 individual birds belonging to 146 species, 77 genera and 23 families. Resident birds made up 80% (117 species) of the total dataset. The study supported the original expectation that altitude is a major determinant of species richness and composition of bird communities in the area. More diverse bird communities were found also in areas with steeper slopes. This together with the positive effect of greater heterogeneity suggests that forests on steep slopes intermixed with patches of open habitats on shallow soil at large spatial scales are more important for diverse bird communities than more disturbed habitats on shallow slopes. In addition, we demonstrated that while different habitat characteristics such as presence of forests edges and shrubs play an important role in driving species composition, but they do not affect species richness. This indicates that while habitat conditions are important determinants of the distribution of specific species, the number of niches is determined by large scale characteristics, such as landscape level habitat heterogeneity and altitude. Thus, to protect bird diversity in the mid-hills of central Nepal, we should maintain diverse local habitats (viz. forest, shrubs, open land, etc.) but also make sure the natural habitats on steeper slopes with large scale heterogeneity are maintained.

The main objective to carry out this study was to determine seasonal diversity, abundance, and ongoing threats to birds of the Karra river belt, Hetauda, Nepal. This study is based on observation. The bird survey methods and threat assessment techniques were used to analyse the data. A total of 153 bird species were recorded belonging to 15 orders and 38 families. Order Passeriformes was found dominating order with 70 species. Among 153 species, 98 species were residents, 37 species were winter visitors, 17 species were summer visitors, and one species was found, vagrant. One-way ANOVA revealed that there was a significantly different (F = 0.8872, df= 2, P &lt; 0.0422) in bird diversity in three different blocks in two different seasons. The Shannon winner diversity index shows that the winter season (H=1.86) was more diverse than the summer season (H=1.62). The evenness index showed that birds were evenly distributed in the winter season (E=0.8815) and then summer (E=0.8761). Bird species richness was found high (126) in moderately disturbed land use type (block 2) than other supporting intermediate disturbance hypotheses. Out of 153 birds recorded, 26 were common in their relative abundance. Habitat destruction, pollutionin the industrial belt, mining, overfishing, poaching, and keeping of cage birds, and lack of awareness were the major threats to birds around the study area.

The study was conducted at Gashua, Yobe State. The weather condition of the area during summer is so terrible to the extent that the majority of inhabitants are searching for ice blocks or cold water to drink in other to feel a bit comfortable. In the school, both teachers and students were not comfortable during summer and winter seasons and these made teaching and learning processes boring. Therefore, the study is aimed at assessing the assimilation and academic performance of students during the vsummer and winter seasons. A random selection of past examination record sheets of students in Yusad secondary school, Gashua was used, and information on their academic performance for summer and winter season were obtain from senior secondary one and two (SS1 and SS2) classes. Ten student record books were selected at random for their academic performance on the subject area of biology. Their scores of the academic performance records were subjected to a descriptive statistics where mean, standard deviation was calculated and Z-test was determined. The results of this study revealed that the summer and winter seasons do not affect the assimilation and results reveals that the academic performance of students varies between - 0.58 in SS1 to - 0.72 in SS2 which means that the summer and winter seasons had no influence on the assimilation and performance of students but might cause inconvenience, unfavorable, disturbance and unsuitable conditions for teaching and learning processes.

Background: The study highlights the impact of temperature and humidity fluctuations on cortisol and glucose concentration in small ruminants, emphasizing the significance of various housing systems in livestock performance. The study aims to investigate the impact of multiple housing systems during different seasons on the stress levels of sheep. Methods: Eighteen (18) healthy Madgyal sheep of either sex were equally divided into three different experimental groups: conventional housing system (T1), slatted housing system (T2) and simple housing system (T3). Blood samples were collected during rainy, winter and summer seasons and analyzed for serum cortisol and blood glucose levels. This study recorded environmental data, including Dry Bulb Temperature (DBT) and Wet Bulb Temperature (WBT), to calculate the temperature humidity index throughout the year. Result: In this study, the average mean THI was recorded in rainy, winter and summer seasons in T1(81.86±0.37, 78.83±0.83,79.11±0.82); T2 (81.68±0.43, 77.37±0.82, 77.86±0.84) and T3 78.87±0.43,75.51±0.92,76.39±1.18), respectively, which was statistically significant. The average serum glucose levels in the T1, T2 and T3 study groups during rainy, winter and summer seasons were 70.17±2.61, 53.70±1.35, 63.25±2.20; 56.86±2.12, 42.68±2.49, 59.58±2.20 and 67.28±0.77, 49.99±1.33, 59.33±1.03, respectively and were found statistically significant within the housing system during different seasons. The study revealed that serum glucose levels were higher during the rainy season compared to the summer and winter seasons. The average serum cortisol concentration in the experimental groups T1, T2 and T3 during rainy, winter and summer seasons was 77.67±5.04, 20.25±2.92, 41.17 ±6.09, 29.00±2.45, 14.58±1.46, 25.00±2.68 and 47.83±4.35,26.67±1.61 and 34.50±2.39 nmol/L, respectively and was found significantly higher within all the treatment groups. The blood glucose levels (mg/dl) and serum cortisol levels (nmol/L) were highest in the Madgyal lambs housed in a conventional housing system (T1) and lowest in the raised wooden slatted floor housing system (T2).

Quality and weight grades classification of stored commercial Table eggs marketed in supermarket and grocery stores in Riyadh city during winter and summer seasons according to GCC standard

We examined relationship between avian diversity in urban woodlots and the surrounding environment. We surveyed bird communities and vegetation structures in 9 woodlots (6.87-52.26 ha) in Tokyo Metropolis and Saitama Prefecture during both wintering and breeding seasons in 2005. We measured area, latitude, and longitude of each woodlot by GIS, and estimated quality of the surrounding environment of each woodlot, using NDVI values in 250 m and 2,500 m buffers of each woodlot calculated from EOS-Terra/ASTER satellite imagery. We analyzed relationship between bird species richness and vegetation structure by correlation analysis, and constructed multiple regression models explaining bird species richness, using woodlot area, latitude, longitude, and surrounding environment. Effect of woodlot area and the amount of vegetation cover in each layer on bird species richness was little in both seasons. Total and migrant bird species richness in wintering season was explained by latitude, longitude, and NDVI in 2,500 m buffers. Resident bird species richness in both seasons and bird species richness in breeding season were explained by latitude, longitude, and NDVI in 250 m buffers. Influence of surrounding environment on migrant bird species and that on resident bird species may differ.