Salum,Amina Rashid2025-09-102025-09-102012https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/6975DissertationThis study was carried out in four forest patches; Zaraningc, Kwamsisi, Msumbugwe and Gendagenda in Pangani - Saadani ecosystem, with the aim of assessing the influence of human disturbances on bird communities, from October 2010 to January 2011. A total of eight transects stratified into core and edge areas were used in each forest patch to identify type and quantify the level of human disturbances, determine bird species composition and abundance. To achieve that, three circular plots each 20 m radius were allocated at the beginning, middle and end of a 500 m long permanent transect. The level of human disturbances was assessed using four disturbance indicators; tree lopping, human trails, identified by sight and call. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test for differences between forests in human disturbances and bird abundance. While Shannon Wiener diversity index (H) was calculated for each forest patch to assess species diversity and evenness, Bray-Curtis Cluster analysis was used to determine similarity in bird species between forests. A total of 564 individuals composed of 88 bird species distributed in ten Orders were recorded. The level of pit sawing and tree lopping differed significantly between forest patches (P<0.05) with Msumbugwe being more disturbed than the rest of the forests. On the other hand, bird abundance differed significantly between the forest patches (P<0.05) with the highest abundance occurring in Msumbugwe. Contrary, Species richness and diversity disturbed forest. Apparently, only pit-sawing was found to correlate with bird abundance (P<0.01) whereas similarities in species composition were evident among forests with Zaraninge and Gendagenda exhibiting much overlapenHuman disturbancesBird assemblagesForest patchesEcosystemThesis