Ecology and characterization of the habitat of the West African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) in Niger
Paper Details
Ecology and characterization of the habitat of the West African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) in Niger
Abstract
The study on the ecology of the West African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) was carried out on the Nigerien portion of the Niger River. It aims to overview the manatee’s habitat and its feeding habit in order to identify the challenges associated to its conservation. The transect method combined with the phytosociological survey of Braun Blanquet (1928) was used for the data collection on the vegetation using 25 m² (5m × 5m) quadrants arranged on the river bank. In addition, other field parameters like turbidity, PH and water temperature were recorded for a better understanding of species ecology and vegetation’s dynamics. During the 224 hours were spent scanning the river with a digital portable sonar and observing manatees’ feeding signs, ninety (90) feeding signs were recorded. During the study, twenty six (26) plants species from eleven (11) families were recorded. The overall Shannon index recorded was 4.16 depicting a rich and varied habitat. The study revealed that human activities like rice cultivation, animal husbandry and urbanization heavily impact on the manatees’ ecosystem as shown by lower Shannon indexes recorded in “Ayorou-Farié” and “Farié-Niamey” transects with H equal 3.89 and 3.66, respectively. The maximum diversity (Hmax) recorded is 4.70. The perturbations in the physicochemical quality of the river are caused by diverse pollution mainly domestic and industrial wastes that contribute in the increase in the water PH which ranges from 8.2 to 8.7 around Niamey, the Niger’s capital. The study revealed that Echinochloa stagnina (bourgou) is the most preferred plant species by the manatee.
Adamou Rabani, Bassirou ALHOU, Zibo GARBA. 2015. Impact de la pollution anthropique du fleuve Niger sur la prolifération de la jacinthe d’eau.
Bengtson JL. 1981. Ecology of manatees (Trichechus manatus) in the St. Johns River, Florida. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Minnesota , Duluth, MN. 126 p.
Bouxin G. 2008. Analyse statistique des données de végétation. 577 p. Disponible sur Internet à l’adresse suivante: http://users.skynet.be/Bouxin.Guy/ASDV.htm
Brown VM. 1975. Fisheries. In. River Ecology (Ed. by B. A Whitton), p. 199-299, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, 725 p.
Burn DM. 1986. The digestive strategy and efficiency of the West Indian manatee, Trichechus manatus. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 85, 139-142.
Butcher RW. 1933. Studies on the ecology of rivers. I. On the distribution of macrophytic vegetation in the rivers of Britain. J. Ecol. 21, 58-91.
Champigneulle A. 1978. Caractéristiques de l’habitat piscole et de la population de juveniles sauvages de saumon atlantique (Salmo salar L) sur le cours principal du scorff (Morbihan). Thèse 3è Cycle Biologie Animale, Univ. Rennes 1, 92 p.
Chapman DW, Bjornn TC. 1969. Distribution of salmonids in streams, with special refrence to food and feeding. In T.G. Nothcote, Salmon and trout in streams, 153-176.HR Mc Milla Lect. Fisheries Univ. Brit. Columbia (Vancouver).
Cned D. 2014. Stratégie Nationale et Plan d’Actions sur la Diversité Biologique, 2ème édition.
CMS/UNEP. 2008. Action Plan for the Conservation of the West African Manatee.
Delpech R. 2006. La phytosociologie. http://www.tela-botanica.org/page:menu_407.
Delpech R, Géhu JM. 1988. Intérêt de la phytosociologie actuelle pour la typologie, l’évaluation et la gestion des écosystèmes. In: « La gestion des systèmes écologiques: des progrès de la recherche au développement des techniques », 4e colloque national de l’AFIE & Société d’écologie, Bordeaux, 14-16 mai 1987, 39-52.
Dumont B, River B. 1981. Le débit de référence biologique. 1 Vol. ronéotype, Doc. CEMAGREF n°19, Aix en Provence, Section Qualité des Eaux, Pêche et Pisciculture, 19 p.+ 11 p. ann.
Dufrêne M. 2003. Méthodes d’analyse des données écologiques et biogéographiques, version du 11/05/03. Adresse: http://biodiversite.wallonie.be/outils/methodo/home.html
Elliott JM. 1989. Wild Brown trout Salmo trutta: an important national and international resource. Freshwater Biol. 21, 1-5.
Etheridge K, Rathbun GB, Powell JA, Kochman HI. 1985. Consumption of aquatic plants by the West Indian Manatee. J. Aquat. Plant Manage. 23, 21-250
Fatimata Niang Diop. 2010. Module de formation des formateurs Sur Le suivi de la flore et de la Végétation aquatiques.
Géhu JM. 1987. Des complexes de groupements végétaux à la phytosociologie paysagère contemporaine. Inf. Bot. Ital., 18(1-3), 53-83. Firenze.
Géhu JM. 2000. Principes et critères synsystématiques de structuration des données de la phytosociologie. Coll. Phytos., XXVII, Données de la phytosociologie sigmatiste, Bailleul, 1997, 693-708.
Géhu JM. 1996. Epistémologie de la territorialité en phytosociologie. Giorn. Bot. Ital., 130(1), 189-199.
Gillet F, Foucault B, Julve Ph. 1991. La phytosociologie synusiale intégrée: objets et concepts. Candollea, 46, 315-340.
Gillet F. 2000. La Phytosociologie synusiale intégrée. Guide méthodologique. Université de Neuchâtel, Institut de Botanique. Doc. Labo. Ecol. Vég., 1, 68 p.
Guinochet M. 1954. Sur les fondements statistiques de la phytosociologie et quelques unes de leurs conséquences. Veröff. Geobot. Inst. Rübel, 29, 41-67.
Gillet F. 2000. La Phytosociologie synusiale intégrée. Guide méthodologique. Université de Neuchâtel, Institut de Botanique. Doc. Labo. Ecol. Vég., 1, 68 p.
Gounot M. 1969. Méthodes d’étude quantitative de la végétation. Masson éd., Paris, 314 p.
Guinochet M. 1973. La phytosociologie. Collection d’écologie I. Masson Éd., Paris, 227 p.
Grandjouan G. 1996. Transposition géométrique ou simulation probabiliste ? Choix d’un modèle statistique des relations écologiques en milieu naturel. In: Actes des journées du programme environnement, vie et sociétés, « Tendances nouvelles en modélisation pour l’environnement », CNRS, 71-76.
Harouna A. 2004. le lamantin du fleuve Niger un double patrimoine? Les annales de l’Université Abdou Moumouni, 17-27 p.
Hartman DS. 1979. Ecology and behavior of the manatee (Trichechus manatus) in Florida, American Society of Mammologists Special Publication 5, 153 p.
INS. 2014. Recensement général de la population du Niger. Institut National des Statistiques du Niger, Niamey.
Irvine AB. 1983. Manatee metabolism and its influence on distribution in Florida. Bio. Conserv. 25, 315-334.
Kandadji. 2014. Elaboration du plan de gestion intégrée des plantes aquatiques proliferantes dans la zone d’intervention du programme « kandadji »
Kaeding LR. 1980. Observations on communities of brook and brown trout separates by an upstream-movement barrier on the Firehole river. Prog. Fish Cult. 42(3), 174-176.
Lefebvre LW, O’Shea TJ, Rathbun GB, Best RC. 1989. Distribution, status, and biogeography of the West Indian Manatee. Biogeography of the West Indies. 567-610 p.
Lomolino MV. 1977. The ecological role of the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) in water hyacinth dominated ecosystems. Thesis, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. 169 p.
Lomolino MV, Ewel KC. 1984. Digestive efficiencies of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). Florida Scientist 47(3), 176-179.
NBA. 2017. Bulletin d’alerte de Niamey.
NBA. 2017. Note technique sur la crue guinéenne prévision de la crue guinéenne 2016-2017.
O’Shea TJ, Kochman. 1990. Florida manatees: distribution, geographically reference data sets, and ecological and behavioral aspects of habitat use. Pp 11-21 in: JE Reynolds & KD Haddal (Eds). Proceedings of a workshop on Geographic Information Systems in managing Florida manatee habitat. Department of Natural Resources, Marine research publication 49.
Paaijmans KP, Takken W, Githeko AK, Jacobs, AF. 2008. The effect of water turbidity on the near-surface water temperature of larval habitats of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae. International Journal of Biometeorology. 2008 Nov; 52(8), 747-53.
Powell JA, Rathbun GB. 1984. Distribution and abundance of Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus) in Guatemala. Proceedings of the first international manatee and dugong conference, Gainesville, Florida.
Rachid MEDDOUR. 2011. La méthode phytosociologique sigmatiste ou Braun Blanquet-Totüxeniiienne
Ramade François. 1994. Éléments d’écologie. Écologie fondamentale 2. Ediscience international, Paris, 579 p.
Reid JP, Rathbun GB, Wilcox JR. 1991. Distribution patterns of individually identifiable West Indian Manatees (Trichechus manatus) in Florida. Mar. Mamm. Sci. 7, 180-190.
Rivas-Martinez S. 1981. Les étages bioclimatiques de la végétation de la PéninsuleIbérique. Anales Jard. Bot., Madrid, 37(2), 215-268.
Ripple J. 1999. Manatees and Dugongs of the World. Shannon H (1928).
Smith KN. 1993. Manatee Habitat and Human-related Threats to Seagrass in Florida: A Review. Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Marine Resources, Office of Protected Species Management, 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard, MS 245, Tallahassee, Florida 32399.
Van der Maarel E. 1979. Transformation of cover-abundance values in phytosociology and its effect on community similarity. Vegetatio, 38, 97-114.
Van Leeuw J. 1985. Et si le Niger disparaissait dans son cours moyen?. Bulletin des séances – académie royale des sciences d’outre mer, 1985, no 3, 399-408 p.
Whittaker RH. 1973. Niche, Habitat and Ecotope. The American Naturalist. Vol 107. N° 955 pp321 338.
Boureima Boubacar, A. Amadou Oumani, Morou Boubé, Mahamane Ali, Yamba Boubacar (2017), Ecology and characterization of the habitat of the West African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) in Niger; IJB, V10, N5, May, P187-198
https://innspub.net/ecology-and-characterization-of-the-habitat-of-the-west-african-manatee-trichechus-senegalensis-in-niger/
Copyright © 2017
By Authors and International
Network for Natural Sciences
(INNSPUB) https://innspub.net
This article is published under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0