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Birds, people and papyrus swamps:
balancing livelihoods
and biodiversity conservation
Ilya Maclean
[email protected]
Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter
Background
Birds good indicators of
ecosystem health:
•
occur in wide variety of habitats
•
sensitive to environmental change
•
Well known and easy to monitor
Much conservation policy is
based on birds
•
EU Birds Directive
•
Ramsar Convention
•
BirdLife International IBA
programme
Background
Wide variety of birds associated
with papyrus swamps
Most not solely reliant on
papyrus
Five species considered
endemic / near-endemic
Maclean et al. (2003) Bird Conservation International, 13: 283-97
Background
Papyrus Yellow Warbler
Chloropeta gracilirostris (VU)
White-winged Swamp Warbler
Bradypterus carpalis
Papyrus Gonolek
Laniarius mufumbiri (NT)
Carruthers’s Cisticola Cisticola carruthersi
Papyrus Canary Serinus koliensis
Maclean et al. (2003) Bird Conservation International, 13: 283-97
Background
Wide variety of birds associated
with papyrus swamps
Most not solely reliant on
papyrus
Five species considered
endemic / near-endemic
Regionally, among mostthreatened and least adequately
protected
Maclean et al. (2003) Bird Conservation International, 13: 283-97
Key questions
• How threatened papyrus
birds (and why)?
• Can conservation resources
be targeted?
• Are bird-based policies
compatible with people?
Methods
• Biodiversity surveys across
Lake Victoria basin
• Analysis of satellite imagery
• Socio-economic modelling
Results: taxonomy
Albertine Rift
• Papyrus Yellow Warbler
probably three species:
•
Three highly disjunct populations
•
Plumage, biometrics, size, bare parts &
vocals all differ
• Species / population in
Kenya Critically
Endangered
•
Confined to very small number of sites
•
All sites highly threatened
Maclean et al. (2003) Bulletin of the African Bird Club, 10: 94-100
Western Kenya
Lake Mweru
Results: habitat loss
Rice schemes
Dredging & Brick-making
Extensive
cultivation &
dairy farming
Mean percentage annual rates
of wetland loss (1984-2000)
Maclean et al. (2011) Diversity & Distributions, 17: 480-90.
Results: bird loss
Annual rates of wetland loss
Rarity weighted bird density index
Bird densities higher in
areas of high drainage
Bird declines >> wetland
loss
Red = high
Blue = low
Percentage loss (1985-2000)
60
40
20
Mean
wetland loss
1985-2000
0
Whitewinged
Warbler
Papyrus
Yellow
Warbler
Carruthers's
Cisticola
Papyrus
Gonolek
Papyrus
Canary
Maclean et al. (2011) Diversity & Distributions, 17: 480-90.
Results: avian responses to
disturbance
A small proportion of wetlands host a high proportion
of the birds:
c. 75% of birds hosted by
c. 5% of wetlands
Maclean et al. (2011) Diversity & Distributions, 17: 480-90.
Results: avian responses to
disturbance
Density
10
Papyrus Yellow Warbler
8
Papyrus Canary
6
Carruthers's Cisticola
White-winged Warbler
4
Papyrus Gonolek
Bird densities
highest in swamps
with low-intensity
disturbance
2
0
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
High
disturbance
Proportion
of swamp
Principal
component
ofdisturbed
vegetation
structure indicative of disturbance
Maclean et al. (2006) Biological Conservation, 131: 349-58.
Conclusions: birds
Birds adversely affecting by
habitat loss
Birds not adversely affected by
low-intensity disturbance
•
Long history of disturbance + extinction
filter?
•
Mimics of disturbance of evolutionary
time scales – e.g. large herbivores?
Possible to target conservation
resources efficiently
Results: value to people
•
Drainage lowers value
•
Value maximised with low-intensity use
•
If people are poorer, optimum value changes
Maclean et al. (2003) CSERGE ECM 03-10
Results: value to people
Poorest people use wetlands the most
Everyone has
equal income
One person has
all income
Maclean et al. (2003) CSERGE ECM 03-09
Conclusions: people
Papyrus used
unsustainably
Poverty & income
inequity increase
Two equilibria:
(1) Sustainable resource use, moderate poverty &
income inequity
(2) Unsustainable resource use, high poverty &
income inequity
As human population increases, switch from
state (1) to (2) increasingly likely
Maclean et al. (2011) Environmental Management, 47: 218-29.
Conclusions: general
Win-win for birds and people depends
on poverty reduction
The way forward
1. Recognise that low-intensity
resource use is compatible with
conservation
2. Poverty-reduction should be
pivotal to conservation policy
3. Seek to diversify income
sources as this will break circle
of poverty
Acknowledgements
Fieldwork assistance:
Jez Bird, Mark Hassall, Steven Katungi, Simon Mahood, Rob Martin, Rowan
Martin, Richard Moores, Nicodemus Nalianya, Oliver Nasirwa, Johnson
Ruhakana, Johnson Tumahairwe
Logistic support / advice:
Leon Bennun, Achillis Byaruhanga, Nigel Collar, Lincoln Fishpool, Janet
Havers, Alfred Owino, Derek Pomeroy, Charlie Williams
Academic Collaboration:
Ros Boar, Mark Hassall, Iain Lake, Charles Lugo, Nicodemus Nalianya, Oliver
Nasirwa, Rob Tinch, Rob Wilson
Funders:
University of East Anglia, British Ecological Society, Royal Geographic
Society, African Bird Club, British Airways