**1. Introduction**

The miombo ecosystems are known worldwide for their higher biodiversity [1, 2]. Woodlands in the miombo ecosystems are dominated by trees of the genera *Brachystegia*, *Julbernardia*, and *Isoberlinia* Leguminosae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae [1, 3]. The woodlands cover between 2.7 and 3.6 million km<sup>2</sup> in 11 African countries [2, 4–6]. In Tanzania, this vegetation type covers more than 90% of forested land

[4, 7–10], and some of the miombo woodlands are found within several of the iconic protected areas including Selous Game Reserves and the Mikumi, Ruaha, Nyerere National Park as well as the Ruvuma Landscape in southern Tanzania. The ecological services it provides include: the provision of forage for wild and domestic animals, nesting sites for birds, water catchments, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity conservation in general and is archived due to the presence of habitat heterogeneity in particular flora diversity that exists in the miombo areas [3, 4].

Floral species compositions are a very important component to determine the distribution and diversity of avifauna communities [11]. Bird species diversity in savannah landscapes increases with an increase in vegetation/habitat heterogeneity in the miombo woodlands [5, 6]. In heterogeneous habitats, some avian species tend to show preference on certain habitat types, which also influence avifaunal diversity, abundance, and distribution across landscapes [7, 8, 12]. For example, miombo pied barbet (*Tricholaema frontata*), miombo rock thrush (*Monticola angolensis*), stierling's wren warbler (*Calamonastes stierlingi*), racket-tailed roller (*Coracias spatulatus*) and white-tailed blue-flycatcher (*Elminia albicauda*) prefer miombo woodland, only stierling's wren warbler and racket-tailed roller were observed during data collection other species listed here were not recorded during this study possibly due to habitat degradation.

The Ruvuma landscape in Tunduru District, in southern Tanzania encompasses five Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) namely: Mbarang'andu, Kimbanda, and Kisungule in Namtumbo District, Nalika and Chingoli WMAs in Tunduru District (**Figure 1**). It borders the Selous Game Reserve and Nyerere National Park in the north and the Niassa National Reserve (Mozambique) to the south. The Ruvuma River forms an international boundary between Tanzania and Mozambique within Namtumbo and Tunduru districts [13]. The two protected areas rely on the presence of the five Wildlife Management Areas as they provide dispersal and movement area (corridor) to Niassa National Reserve in Mozambique and to Nyerere National Park. Habitat destruction by humans is a serious threat that alters the integrity of ecosystems [8], also affects vegetation cover. It is possible that human activities occurring in the miombo woodland resulted in land cover change [7, 9, 10, 14, 15]. Currently, the Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) of the Ruvuma region in southern Tanzania undergo fragmentations caused by human activities which include uncontrolled wildfires, collection of fuel wood, charcoal, timber, illegal hunting, cattle grazing, and agriculture. In this area, communities have formulated the Wildlife Management Area (WMA), which is the form of community-based conservation which ensures villagers or communities rich in wildlife sustainably conserve, utilize and benefit from wildlife. Wildlife Management Areas are formed within village land from which villagers set aside a piece of land purposely for sustainable conservation and utilization of wildlife resources. The Tanzania government actualized WMAs for the local community to participate in wildlife management and conserve wildlife habitats in the communal land.

avian species diversity and abundance would be higher in protected habitats inside

*Avifauna in Relation to Habitat Disturbance in Wildlife Management Areas of the Ruvuma…*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97332*

The rainfall pattern is unimodal spanning from late November to May with a mean annual rainfall of 800–1200 mm in a north–south gradient. The mean annual temperature is 21°C, following the Köppen system [17]. The area consists of extensive miombo woodland, including *Brachystegia* sp., *Julbernardia* sp., *Isoberlinia* sp., *Afzelia quanzensis*, *Pterocarpus angolensis*, and rare and threatened plant species such as *Dalbergia melanoxylon,* which forms dense miombo along the hills and rivers [18]. Also, there are seasonal and permanent wetlands (swamps), riverine forests

along numerous perennial and seasonal streams. Due to the increasing

In this study we treated the presence of farmlands in WMAs where they are not supposed to be as disturbance, because all WMAs in Tanzania have land use planning. The land use planning in all WMAs provides guidelines by zoning communal land where different activities can be conducted, such cattle grazing, settlements, farming and wildlife conservation area (tourist areas). All plots selected in this study were from wildlife conservation zones where also farms existed. Potential

WMA than in areas dominated by human activities namely farmlands.

actions for intervention have been highlighted.

*Map of Ruvuma WMAs showing the location of the sampling sites.*

**2. Methods and materials**

**Figure 1.**

**73**

**2.1 Climate and vegetation types**

Apart from the study investigated on abundance, nesting and habitat of the white-browed sparrow-weaver (*Plocepasser mahali*) conducted by Ngongolo and Mtoka [16] no other study attempted to describe the diversity, abundance, and distribution of avifaunal species across the habitat gradient, and assess the implication of ongoing human activities to the conservation of avifauna species across the Ruvuma Landscape. This gives an opportunity to assess avifauna diversity and distribution in relation to habitat disturbance and how avifauna responded to this habitat destruction. Studying avifauna in Ruvuma landscape will open a room for avitourim activities and conserve from habitat degradation. Therefore, this chapter aimed at presenting the diversity of avifauna species in the Wildlife Management Areas in the Ruvuma Landscape in relation to human activities. It is predicted that

*Avifauna in Relation to Habitat Disturbance in Wildlife Management Areas of the Ruvuma… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97332*

#### **Figure 1.**

[4, 7–10], and some of the miombo woodlands are found within several of the iconic protected areas including Selous Game Reserves and the Mikumi, Ruaha, Nyerere National Park as well as the Ruvuma Landscape in southern Tanzania. The ecological services it provides include: the provision of forage for wild and domestic animals, nesting sites for birds, water catchments, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity conservation in general and is archived due to the presence of habitat heterogeneity in particular flora diversity that exists in the miombo areas [3, 4]. Floral species compositions are a very important component to determine the distribution and diversity of avifauna communities [11]. Bird species diversity in savannah landscapes increases with an increase in vegetation/habitat heterogeneity in the miombo woodlands [5, 6]. In heterogeneous habitats, some avian species tend to show preference on certain habitat types, which also influence avifaunal diversity, abundance, and distribution across landscapes [7, 8, 12]. For example, miombo pied barbet (*Tricholaema frontata*), miombo rock thrush (*Monticola angolensis*), stierling's wren warbler (*Calamonastes stierlingi*), racket-tailed roller (*Coracias spatulatus*) and white-tailed blue-flycatcher (*Elminia albicauda*) prefer miombo woodland, only stierling's wren warbler and racket-tailed roller were observed during data collection other species listed here were not recorded during this study

*Birds - Challenges and Opportunities for Business, Conservation and Research*

The Ruvuma landscape in Tunduru District, in southern Tanzania encompasses five Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) namely: Mbarang'andu, Kimbanda, and Kisungule in Namtumbo District, Nalika and Chingoli WMAs in Tunduru District (**Figure 1**). It borders the Selous Game Reserve and Nyerere National Park in the north and the Niassa National Reserve (Mozambique) to the south. The Ruvuma River forms an international boundary between Tanzania and Mozambique within Namtumbo and Tunduru districts [13]. The two protected areas rely on the presence of the five Wildlife Management Areas as they provide dispersal and movement area (corridor) to Niassa National Reserve in Mozambique and to Nyerere National Park. Habitat destruction by humans is a serious threat that alters the integrity of ecosystems [8], also affects vegetation cover. It is possible that human activities occurring in the miombo woodland resulted in land cover change [7, 9, 10, 14, 15]. Currently, the Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) of the Ruvuma region in southern Tanzania undergo fragmentations caused by human activities which include uncontrolled wildfires, collection of fuel wood, charcoal, timber, illegal hunting, cattle grazing, and agriculture. In this area, communities have formulated the Wildlife Management Area (WMA), which is the form of community-based conservation which ensures villagers or communities rich in wildlife sustainably conserve, utilize and benefit from wildlife. Wildlife Management Areas are formed within village land from which villagers set aside a piece of land purposely for sustainable conservation and utilization of wildlife resources. The Tanzania government actualized WMAs for the local community to participate in wildlife management and conserve wildlife habitats in the communal land. Apart from the study investigated on abundance, nesting and habitat of the white-browed sparrow-weaver (*Plocepasser mahali*) conducted by Ngongolo and Mtoka [16] no other study attempted to describe the diversity, abundance, and distribution of avifaunal species across the habitat gradient, and assess the implication of ongoing human activities to the conservation of avifauna species across the Ruvuma Landscape. This gives an opportunity to assess avifauna diversity and distribution in relation to habitat disturbance and how avifauna responded to this habitat destruction. Studying avifauna in Ruvuma landscape will open a room for avitourim activities and conserve from habitat degradation. Therefore, this chapter aimed at presenting the diversity of avifauna species in the Wildlife Management Areas in the Ruvuma Landscape in relation to human activities. It is predicted that

possibly due to habitat degradation.

**72**

*Map of Ruvuma WMAs showing the location of the sampling sites.*

avian species diversity and abundance would be higher in protected habitats inside WMA than in areas dominated by human activities namely farmlands.

In this study we treated the presence of farmlands in WMAs where they are not supposed to be as disturbance, because all WMAs in Tanzania have land use planning. The land use planning in all WMAs provides guidelines by zoning communal land where different activities can be conducted, such cattle grazing, settlements, farming and wildlife conservation area (tourist areas). All plots selected in this study were from wildlife conservation zones where also farms existed. Potential actions for intervention have been highlighted.
