BIRD DIVERSITY IN EIGHT INDIAN COMMUNITIES FROM THE MISKITU TERRITORY TASBAISKA KUM, RESERVE OF BIOSPHERE BOSAWAS, NICARAGUA

Abstract

The introduction of livestock in traditionally agricultural areas in the Miskitu Indian Tasbaiska Kum territory has influenced a change in its territorial order to accommodate this new item by its inhabitants. It is commonly known that farming is one of the productive activities more incompatible with forest and conservation of the elements within it, but the rotation of crops and grazing areas, and use it silvopastoril systems could reduce the impact to natural environments. This study proposes to determine the biodiversity of birds in silvopastoril systems located in eight communities from the Miskitu Indian Tasbaiska Kum territory, in order to determine their potential to preserve birds, especially birds of national conservation importance. To achieve the objectives, bird surveys were conducted by using point counts, they were established in graze livestock area. The study spent almost three days in each community and were performed at least two observations per day, between 06:00-10:00 and again between 16:00 to 18:00. From the data, biological diversity parameters were calculated, including: Abundance, Richness, Rarefraction, Diversity (Shannon-Wiener index). As results, a total of 423 individuals were observed within the point counts, which were grouped into 67 species and 27 families. The most abundant species of birds were: Brotogeris jubularis, Ramphocelus passerinii and Amazona auropaliata. Amarrana, Shiminka and Yakalpanani communities got the highest values of biodiversity parameters. 14 species were identified in some conservation degree, according to the CITES list from Nicaragua and the lists of the National Vedas 2012, including: Brotogeris jugularis and Amazona auropaliata which were also abundant. The community that concentrated the highest number of birds in some conservation degree was Yakalpanani. Plant species associated with the greatest diversity of birds were species of early stages of succession as Cecropia peltata, Inga sp, Guazuma ulmifolia and Muntingia calabura,. Although Yakalpanani is one of the largest communities compared to Plis, the location of their grazing area among preserved woodlands has ensured that the biodiversity parameters have been significantly higher in this place, because the connectivity, so far little disrupted.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/calera.v13i20.1622