Bird diversity and land use on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the adjacent plains, Tanzania

This study of bird distribution in the main land use categories of the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, aims at understanding potential impacts of the land use changes on birds. A land use map of the study area was derived from a Landsat image, and land use chan ge information came from an earlier study by the author. Bird data were collected by observations along timed, standardised walks. The Shannon-Weaver indices of bird diversity for highlands, bushland and lowlands were 3.29, 2.99, and 2.62 respectively. The highland category was divided into two, homegarden and highland garden, as bird populations were distinct. Highland garden had the highest diversity (3.15). Homegarden ranked second most diverse (3.07). The lower species diversity and number of individuals in homegardens was probably due to the lower niche diversity and human disturbance. Lowland fields had low diversity index as they are dominated by large flocks of birds. Each land use type had a considerable number of species that were not seen in the others. As bushland is disappearing, the species currently thr eatened are the fifteen bushl and species that are not found in other land use types. Growing population pressure leading to de-agrarianisation of the homegarden area is likely to affect homegarden bird populations, though it is not clear whether the very high human population density will prevent it from supporting a highland garden type of a bird population.

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5716/WP15087.PDF

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