A survey of avifauna and vegetation communities in Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands, Nigeria

Abstract

An understanding of the ecological relationship between birds and vegetation is important for management and conservation of any wetland ecosystem. Despite the significant importance of the Hadejia-Nguru Ramsar site and an Important Bird Area, little is known about the ecological relationship between bird and vegetation communities. Bird diversity and density were examined and compared between Protected Areas (PAs) and Unprotected Areas (UPAs) with attention to vegetation diversity and density. Data were collected from October to December, 2015. A total of 14 wetland sites were surveyed (seven in PAs and seven in UPAs), and point count method was emp oyed. In total, 42, 255 bird individuals, 148 species, 23 orders, and 50 families were identified. Two globally threatened species namely, European Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) and Pallid harrier (Circus macrourus) were also recorded. Results showed that neither vegetation diversity nor density correlated with bird diversity nor density in both PAs and UPAs (p > 0.05), suggesting that there could be other factors that influence the bird diversity and density in both areas. PAs and UPAs of the Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands are rich in avifaunal species, thus management of these areas will preserve large species diversity. Increase public awareness in the wetland on the importance of conserving birds and vegetation, as they play a vital role in the ecosystem is strongly recommended. The results presented here provide an overview of the relationship between bird and vegetation communities of the Hadeji -Nguru Wetlands, an important input for better understanding of its conservation.

Keywords: Bird diversity, Density, Hadejia- Nguru Wetlands, Protected and unprotected areas, Vegetation