Effects of crop succession on bird communities in an urban wetland in Korhogo (Côte d’Ivoire)
Paper Details
Effects of crop succession on bird communities in an urban wetland in Korhogo (Côte d’Ivoire)
Abstract
Urban wetlands provide important habitats for birds, but their use for agricultural purposes can influence the bird communities that inhabit them. Furthermore, changes in bird populations during crop succession remain poorly documented in West Africa. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze changes in the composition, diversity, and functional structure of bird populations during a maize-rice succession in a humid urban area of northern Côte d’Ivoire. Birds were monitored from July to December using the point count method, with the first three months dedicated to maize and the last three to rice. The bird community was analyzed using diversity indices, principal component analysis, PERMANOVA, and NMDS. A total of 90 bird species were recorded, with 81 species during the maize phase and 69 species during the rice phase. Species composition varied significantly between the two crops (F = 10.316; R² = 0.319; p = 0.0001), as did the structure of the food guilds (F = 25.578; R² = 0.538; p = 0.0001). These results show that maize-rice succession is accompanied by a taxonomic and functional reorganization of the birdlife, rather than simply a variation in its abundance. They also indicate the need to maintain a degree of habitat heterogeneity and agricultural practices in urban wetlands to promote biodiversity. Furthermore, multi-year monitoring will allow for a better understanding of the effects of crop succession and seasonality on birds.
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Konan Ekoun Michaël*, Niamien Coffi Jean Magloire, Guétondé Valérie Florence, Yéo N’gan-Nan, Yaokokoré-Béibro Kouassi Hilaire, 2026. Effects of crop succession on bird communities in an urban wetland in Korhogo (Côte d’Ivoire). Int. J. Biosci., 29(3), 94-107.
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