Home Institution

Pomona College

Publication Date

Spring 2024

Program Name

Tanzania-Zanzibar: Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management

Abstract

Effective management of natural resources requires consideration of the environment through both a physical and a sociological lens. In this study, the birds in Ngezi-Vumawimbi Nature Forest Reserve were examined through both a biological mist-net survey and a socioecological series of interviews with people living in the surrounding villages. The mist-net survey compared the understory species in undisturbed and disturbed area of the forest, as well as analyzing birds caught for biologically meaningful information on subspecies and sexual dimorphism. While the mist-net survey was largely unsuccessful, highlighting the need for alternative bird capture methods in Ngezi, it found a decrease in bird abundance and diversity in the disturbed area, showing the risks associated with deforestation. The interviews explored the diversity of human-bird interactions on Pemba and the ways in which they cause certain birds to be particularly salient and well-liked. These interviews highlight differences between Pemban and Western conceptualizations of birds, emphasize the importance of hunting as a process of developing ornithological knowledge, and reveal differences in bird knowledge and support for conservation among genders and age groups. It is recommended that Ngezi Forest establishes bird-related environmental education programs for the surrounding villages, that future research considers adapting traditional hunting techniques as alternative catch-and-release methods to mist-netting, and that the ninga (Pemba Green-Pigeon) is used as a flagship species for conservation in the forest.

Disciplines

Animal Studies | Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment | Forest Management | Human Ecology | Ornithology | Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology

Download

Share

Article Location

 
COinS