Utilisation of Anthropogenic Landscapes by Bird Communities in West African Drylands

ABSTRACT The increasing demand for food and settlement in response to human population explosion is an issue of major concern recently. Conservation planning for biodiversity in anthropogenic landscapes is crucial given the dramatic changes within landscapes with human population growth; and understanding how avian species utilise such landscapes is especially important. This study investigated the impacts of vegetation structure and human activities on avian diversity; it also explored the stability of bird communities in northern Nigeria. We collected bird count, vegetation and anthropogenic data from four study sites over a period of 1 year. A total of 168 species were recorded. Vegetation variables were significant predictors of species abundance and richness, while human activities exerted little effect on them. Community stability varied considerably among the study sites, and a positive covariance and asynchronous relationship were observed among species. Since the drylands of northern Nigeria provide a refuge for many bird species, the protection and monitoring of this landscape are critical in order to cope with the management needs of avian communities.