Abstract
Ecological investigation of species diversity and relative abundance of birds was conducted from January to September 2017 at the shoreline of Lake Hawassa, SNNPR, Ethiopia. Three habitats namely-Tikurwuha wetland, Human settlement and Farmland were identified for the study. A total of 60 bird species under 14 orders and 37 families were identified. In general, 2720 individuals of 81 species of birds were recorded during the wet season and 1557 individuals of 49 species during the dry season. During wet season, Tikurwuha wetland habitat had the highest diversity (H’=3.469) whereas the lowest diversity was recorded in farmland (H’=2.864). Analogously, during dry season the highest and the lowest diversity were recorded in Tikurwuha wetland habitat (H’=2.845) and farmland habitat (H’=2.584), respectively. The overall seasonal species’ composition and relative abundance between dry and wet seasons were statistically significant (P < 0.05). In spite of the fact that the lake supports good number of birds’ populations, anthropogenic activities going on near the lakeshore such as farm land and human settlement expansions are shrinking available habitats to birds through altering the vegetation composition and structure that ultimately affects birds’ abundance and survival. Accordingly, since the existence of lakeshore bird species is based on the lake ecosystem, anthropogenic pressure such as farming activities and human settlement very close to the lake should be banned. Key words: Birds, relative abundance, species composition, species diversity.
Highlights
Ethiopia is a country endowed with great natural and cultural diversity
Most of the birds in the study area were observed throughout the study period
Out of the total species recorded in the study area, two species (3.3%) were endemic to Ethiopia, three(5%) species were endemic to Ethiopia and Eritrea, 18 (30%) palertic migrant and 26 (43.3%) resident and the rest species were partially migrant (Table 1)
Summary
Ethiopia is a country endowed with great natural and cultural diversity. It covers an extraordinary number of the world's broad ecological zones with a high plateau and a central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley. The country contains remarkable altitudinal range from the Danakil depressions in the Afar 100 masl (meter above sea level) to the mountain top of Ras Dashen in the north 4,620 masl. Protected areas in the country comprise 21 National Parks, two Wildlife Sanctuaries, three Wildlife Reserves, 20 Controlled Hunting Areas, six Community Conservation Areas, two Wildlife Rescue Centers, two Community Managed Ecotourism and Hunting Areas, six Open Hunting Areas, three Commercial Ranches, two Botanical Gardens and Herbariums, four Biosphere.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
