Abstract:
Conservation and management of riparian habitats for wild life and sustainable
human use have become challenging tasks amidst the present day development
activities and other human influences. Riparian habitats especially closer to the
urban areas are severely influenced by garbage dumping. A mangrove ecosystem
associated with Nilwala riparian system (Matara) has been recently transformed into
a garbage dumping site. We have investigated the diversity and the abundance of
avifauna at this dumping site and a Sonneratia dominated mangrove habitat
associated with Nilwala River. Bird counts were obtained weekly in each habitat
along transects for six months (March — September, 2009). Vegetation characters
and diversity of each habitat were also investigated. The total number of species
recorded at eastern and western areas of the dumping site and mangrove habitat
were 33, 48 and 61 respectively. Shannon-Weiner Index calculated for bird
diversity were 1.56 ± 0.06, 2.65 ± 0.03 and 2.77 ± 0.03 for eastern area and
western area of the dumping site and mangrove ecosystem respectively. Cattle
egrets, Crows, Mynahs and Lapwings were highly abundant at the dumping site
while Sunbirds, Bulbuls, Barbets, Flower peckers and loras were abundant in the
Sonneratia dominated mangrove habitat clearly indicating habitat bird species
relationships. These results indicate the importance of the mangrove ecosystem in
providing habitat for wider range of species. Bird diversity among the study sites
correlated with the magnitude of the vegetation degradation at each site. Birds
associated with the dumping site were threatened with fire, obnoxious gases and
polythene. Species richness was correlated with the degree of transformation at the
dumping site. There was no statistically significant correlation between the bird
diversity and plant diversity indicating the other factors affecting the bird diversity
.pattercis7:These data will be useful in conservation, and management of riparian
and mangrove ecosystems.
