Wet season bird species richness and diversity along urban-rural gradient in Morogoro municipality and surrounding areas, Tanzania
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Date
2014-06
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)
Abstract
This study examined the variation in
diversity and distribution of avian species
across an urban–rural gradient during the
wet season in Morogoro municipality and
its surroundings. A total of 2547
individuals comprising 86 species
belonging to 11 orders and 37 families
were recorded across urban-rural habitats.
The highest (65) species richness was
recorded in rural zone, followed by suburban
zone (56) and Morogoro core urban
zone, the lowest (29). Similarly, species
diversity was highest in rural zone (H’=
3.107) and lowest in Morogoro core urban
(H’= 2.021), suggesting that increasing
urbanization is adversely impacting bird
communities across the rural-urban stretch.
No significant difference in species
diversity was detected between rural and
sub-urban zones, but relative abundance of
birds differed between the zones. Further,
diverse bird guilds were recorded varying
across the urban-rural gradients indicating
the area’s conservation importance.
Increasing urban development severs more
suitable habitats with dire consequences on
the survival of disturbance-sensitive bird
species. These results underpin the need
for considering integrated avifaunal
conservation strategies and are important
for planning local avitourism activities and
to protect remaining natural habitats in the
municipality.
Key words: bird guilds; bird richness;
species diversity; urban habitats; urbanrural
gradients; Morogoro Tanzania
Description
This article is also available at in print
Keywords
Bird species, Diversity, Species diversity, Species distribution, Tanzania, Morogoro
Citation
Rija, A. A., Bugingo, A., Said, A., & Mwamende, K. A. (2015). Wet season bird species richness and diversity along urban-rural gradient in Morogoro municipality and surrounding areas, Tanzania. Tanzania Journal of Forestry and Nature Conservation, 83(2), 1-13.