Exploring avian biodiversity dynamics: insights from a sub-Saharan African reservoir

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Biodiversity in tropical landscapes is influenced by vegetation, disturbance, and seasonal change, but their combined effects are not well known. We studied bird communities at seven sites around the Shiroro Reservoir, Nigeria; a hydropower landscape with different levels of disturbance. Species richness, abundance, and functional richness were highest at reservoir-edge habitats (DYKE, CTMC) and lowest at heavily disturbed sites (COOJ, POWH). Species richness and Shannon diversity did not vary with season, but functional evenness was higher in the dry season, showing that trait distribution responds more to seasonal change than species numbers. Ordination analysis showed that location and season strongly shaped bird communities, while vegetation structure had weaker effects. Sites close to infrastructure consistently supported fewer species. Our results show that semi-natural habitats act as refuges for birds in disturbed landscapes. Protecting vegetation complexity, keeping dead trees, and limiting settlement expansion are important for conserving birds and the services they provide in African savanna reservoirs. These findings underscore the complex interplay between human activities and ecological dynamics, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable management strategies to mitigate further biodiversity loss and habitat degradation in this critical ecosystem.

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