International Journal of
Biodiversity and Conservation

  • Abbreviation: Int. J. Biodivers. Conserv.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-243X
  • DOI: 10.5897/IJBC
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 684

Full Length Research Paper

Comparative analysis of bird diversity, richness and evenness in three protected areas in Northern Tanzania

Ellen K. Ponsian
  • Ellen K. Ponsian
  • Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, P. O. Box 661, Arusha, Tanzania.
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Emmanuel Usangila
  • Emmanuel Usangila
  • Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, P. O. Box 661, Arusha, Tanzania.
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Emmanuel H. Masenga
  • Emmanuel H. Masenga
  • Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, P. O. Box 661, Arusha, Tanzania.
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Eveline Munisi
  • Eveline Munisi
  • Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, P. O. Box 661, Arusha, Tanzania.
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Grayson Mwakalebe
  • Grayson Mwakalebe
  • Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, P. O. Box 661, Arusha, Tanzania.
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Mary Zebedayo Wokusima
  • Mary Zebedayo Wokusima
  • Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, P. O. Box 661, Arusha, Tanzania.
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Matana Levi Ngw’eli
  • Matana Levi Ngw’eli
  • Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, P. O. Box 661, Arusha, Tanzania.
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Maulidi Mdaki
  • Maulidi Mdaki
  • Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, P. O. Box 661, Arusha, Tanzania.
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Rajabu Mikole
  • Rajabu Mikole
  • Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, P. O. Box 661, Arusha, Tanzania.
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Revocatus Meney
  • Revocatus Meney
  • Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, P. O. Box 661, Arusha, Tanzania.
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  •  Received: 26 December 2023
  •  Accepted: 13 May 2024
  •  Published: 30 September 2024

Abstract

Protected areas (PAs) play a crucial role in safeguarding and promoting ecological balance of bird diversity. This study presents a comparative analysis of bird diversity, richness, and evenness in three protected areas, Lake Manyara National Park (LMNP), Lake Natron Game Controlled Area (LNGCA), and Mtowambu Game Controlled Area (MGCA), during both wet and dry seasons. A standardized bird point count method was used to collect data on species composition, abundances, and distribution in each protected area during the wet (January) and dry (June) seasons of 2021. The results revealed a different trend of bird diversity across the three PAs, contrary to our expectations. It was expected to have high diversity of bird species in LMNP, only to find that during the wet season, LNGCA displayed high diversity of bird species (H' = 4.859, n = 233), followed by MGCA (H' = 4.253, n = 137), and lastly LMNP (H' = 3.695, n = 125), whereas in the dry season, MGCA was observed to have high diversity of bird species (H' = 4.353), followed by LMNP and LNGCA (H' = 4.145) and (H' = 3.541), respectively. The family Phoenicopteridae showed the highest number of individual birds in the wet season, and the family Ploceidae in the dry season. The study findings recommend that avitourism is one of the other forms of tourism that should be promoted. However, areas with lower protection status such as MGCA and LNGCA should receive additional conservation attention and stricter regulation.

 

Key words: Aviatuorism, bird point count, ecological balance, protection status.

Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.

This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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