Empirical assessment of species vulnerability for biodiversity conservation: A case study on Chalan beel of Bangladesh

Abstract

The study was conducted to assess the current biodiversity in Chalan beel, Natore district, Bangladesh. Primary data were collected through stratified random sampling and analyzed through a combination of descriptive statistical and mathematical techniques. The Shannon-Weiner and Margalef richness indices were used to quantify the biodiversity of birds, and fauna. The Shannon-Weiner diversity index was 2.097, 0.944, and 1.510 for the fish, bird, and other faunal communities, respectively. The Species Ability to Forestall Extinction (S.A.F.E.) index was used to enumerate threatened status among native birds and other faunal species in Chalan beel areas and the IUCN conservation status was assessed simultaneously. The most threatened community was birds, which comprised 28.12% of critically endangered species. According to the weighted perception index, 90.0% of respondents agreed with positive statements, and 89.0% agreed with negative statements, regarding the effects of natural disasters on biodiversity and the significance of the factors was justified through the multinomial logit model. The reasons for the depletion of fish and waterfowl were identified according to farmers’ responses, and failure mode effect analysis (FMEA) was used to rank the causes of depletion according to intensity. This study identified the overall biodiversity status of Chalan beel as a representative wetland to assist policymakers in conservation.