Browsing by Author "Rija, A.A"

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Avifauna community in a threatened conservation landscape, western Tanzania: a baseline
(Tanzania Journal of Forestry and Nature Conservation, 2023) Mgelwa, A.S; Mpita, M.O; Rija, A.A; Kabalika, Z.; Hassan, S.N
Conservation of avian biodiversity in landscapes under immense anthropogenic pressures is dependent on sound population data that could guide informed conservation strategies. Using point count surveys, field observations and interviews, we assessed bird communities in Lake Rukwa, an anthropogenically threatened ecosystem in western Tanzania, to establish some vital parameters on this taxon. A total of 5840 bird individuals belonging to 85 species, 17 orders and 39 families were recorded. Of these, five were globally threatened and 19 were migrant species. Avian Shannon’s (H’) and Simpson’s (D) diversity indices were 2.936 and 0.8655, respectively. Bird species richness was different across foraging and habitat guilds (both p = 0.0001). Insectivores were the most species-rich foraging guild, while nectarivores were the least; similarly, non-forest birds were the most species-rich habitat guild, while forest generalists were the least. Grazing, bushfires, tree cutting, unsustainable fishing and bird harvesting are the major anthropogenic threats to bird biodiversity in the area. Regular provision of conservation-related education programs to local residents is a highly recommended conservation measure. This study serves as a baseline for avifaunal monitoring in Lake Rukwa and provides useful insights into the avifauna conservation planning in anthropogenically disturbed landscapes.
Behavioural activities of two sympatric bird species and implications for Conservation and birding tourism in an urban landscape
(Tanzania Journal of Forestry and Nature Conservation, 2021) Dismas, S.S; Mbilu, J.A.; Rija, A.A
The behaviours of most Afro-tropical birds inhabiting urban landscapes are still poorly understood making species conservation and utilization challenging particularly in increasingly changing cityscapes. This study investigated activity patterns of two sympatric bird species, the Zanzibar red bishop (Euplectes nigroventris) and Black- headed weaver (Ploceus cucullatus) inhabiting urban forest remnants to provide information to improve species conservation and potential plans for avitourism in urban Morogoro, Tanzania. A total of 60 individual Zanzibar red bishop and 28 individual weaver birds were observed, for three weeks to understand their diel activity patterns. Eleven activities were displayed by the birds with the mean time budgets for some activities varying significantly between species, bird sex and habitat types. Further, birds spent significantly longer time during morning than afternoon or evening on most activities probably to offset the energy demands for the survival and reproduction. Variation in activity budgets between the two species was probably due to the species intrinsic strategies such as group foraging by the weaver that enhance easy detection and access to the food resources. These data will be useful for planning bird conservation and utilization programs especially in cities where birds are increasing threatened by human persecution
Ecological correlates of population abundance of a pest small mammal species (mastomys natalensis) inhabiting a protected area-farmland landscape in western Serengeti, Tanzania
(Tanzania Journal of Forestry and Nature Conservation, 2023) Rwebuga, E.J; Mulungu, L.S.; Rija, A.A; Hassan, S.N.
There is growing recognition of the negative impacts pest mammal species have on food security and the human health. Strategies to reduce these impacts could benefit from results of association of population of the pests to ecological aspects. We assessed how environmental and habitat attributes were associated population abundance of Mastomys natelensis in a landscape interspaced with farmland and protected areas in Western Serengeti. Rodents were trapped through Capture-Mark-Release method between April, 2020 and March, 2021 and estimated density of M. natalensis using the Minimum Number of Animals Known to be Alive (MNA) method. We found density to be significantly higher during dry season and in active farmlands; Both active farmlands and areas with sandy- clay-loam soils were strongly positively associated with higher abundance perhaps because of the increased species activity patterns during searching for food and favourable nesting soils thereby exposing the rodents to the traps. Also, the density tended to be significantly lower in areas with high plant species richness probably because M.natalensis is a pestrous species often in high abundance in areas cleared of vegetation for agricultural activities. These results provide useful inputs towards control strategies to reduce impacts associated with these pests in the rural landscapes.