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Land Sparing Can Maintain Bird Diversity in Northeastern Bangladesh

Akib Hasan*
Institut de Recherche sur les Forêts, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Campus of Amos, 341 Rue Principale Nord, Amos, QC J9T 2L8, Canada

Miguel Montoro Girona
Restoration Ecology Research Group, Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Skogsmarksgränd, 907 36 Umeå, Sweden

Guillaume Grosbois
Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 75007 Uppsala, Sweden

Narayan Saha
Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, Bangladesh

Md Abdul Halim
Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

One of humanity’s most significant challenges in the process of attaining the established sustainability goals is balancing the growing human demand for food and the need to conserve biodiversity. This challenge requires appropriate land uses that are able to conserve biodiversity while ensuring ample food supply. This study compares bird species diversity and abundance in areas undergoing land sharing and land sparing in northeastern Bangladesh (West Bhanugach Reserved Forest). Birds serve as useful biologic indicators because of their presence within different trophic levels and their well-studied ecology. To survey birds, we selected a total of 66 sampling sites within land-sharing (33) and land-sparing (33) land-use areas. Between May and June 2017, we observed and recorded bird calls within a 50-m radius around each sampling site. We counted 541 individuals from 46 species of birds. The Shannon bird diversity was higher in the land-sparing sites (1.52) than in the land-sharing sites (1.23). We found approximately 30% more bird species (39 vs. 30) and 40% more individuals (318 vs. 223) in the land-sparing areas than land-sharing areas. Three bird species, Arachnothera longirostra, Micropternus brachyurus and Copsychus malabaricus, were significantly associated with the land-sparing sites. This study shows that land sharing negatively affects bird diversity, richness and abundance compared to land-sparing. The use of chemical fertilizers and the lack of food, such as insects, for birds can explain the lower diversity, richness and abundance of birds in the land-sharing areas. Although land sharing is an effective means of producing food, land sparing is the most effective land-use practice for preserving bird diversity in northeastern Bangladesh.

Keywords: Agriculture; Biodiversity; Conservation; Habitat loss; Forestry; Land sharing; Land use; Sustainability; Wildlife

Location: Northeastern Bangladesh (West Bhanugach Reserved Forest)

Start Date: 00-05-2017

End Date: 00-06-2017

Program Area: Conservation and Biodiversity

Commodity: Bird

Objectives:

Our main objective was to assess the abundance, species richness and diversity of bird species within two types of land use: land sharing and land sparing. Based on previous studies in similar habitats, we expected to observe a negative effect of land sharing on birds in this region of Bangladesh. The diversity of most wild species is negatively affected when their habitats are converted to land-sharing land us. Therefore, we hypothesized that land-sparing areas would have higher a bird abundance, species richness and diversity compared with land-sharing locations.

Methodology:

2.1. Study Area This study was conducted in the West Bhanugach Reserved Forest, northeastern Bangladesh (24⁰190'11” N, 91⁰47'01” E). Apart from having anthropogenic land use in the buffer zone, the 2740 ha forest reserve contains two major land-use systems: land sharing and land sparing. The section of this forest having a high conservation value is designated as the core zone (land sparing) and has an area of 1250 ha. This core is surrounded by a 5-km-wide buffer zone (land sharing) where traditional agroforestry land use is practiced following the traditional methods of the neighboring villages. This buffer zone is itself surrounded by various land uses, including agricultural lands, human settlements, roads and rail lines, all of which alter the existing habitat and wildlife. The southeastern, southern and eastern parts of the core are bounded by agricultural lands, including tea gardens, rubber plantations, pineapple groves and lemon gardens. We identified a portion of this boundary area as representing land-sharing land use. Few trails and tracks are found within the forest; the existing paths were created by the local people for collecting firewood from the forest.

2.2. Experimental Design We selected 33 sampling sites for each land-use type. We determined the optimal number of sampling sites using species-area accumulation curves-the total number of identified species in relation to the number of sites. After setting the initial sampling site, we selected the other sites systematically. All sampling sites were inside the boundary of the West Bhanugach Reserved Forest excluding agricultural land and land sparing sites were inside the nearby national park (Lawachara National Park). Each sampling site was at least 250 m apart from each other in all directions. With at least 250 m between each adjacent sampling sites. For each site, we established a 50-m radius zone around the center, which we consider as the approximate distance within which bird calls can be recorded and be associated with the sampling site. We used the point count method. Advantages of the point count approach included the observers being able to focus fully on observing birds without having to watch where they walk and the observers having more time to identify contacts. The point sampling method also provided a greater likelihood of detecting cryptic and skulking species and facilitated relating a bird occurrence to specific habitat features.

2.3. Bird Identification and Counting An exploratory survey identified that bird activity was very high after sunrise and before sunset. Therefore, we began data collection at 6 a.m., about 30 min after sunrise and continued until 9 a.m. when bird activity normally declined. We surveyed again before dusk, between 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Moreover, we kept the peak time for bird availability the same for both land-use types. During this bird survey, we counted and identified each individual visually and/or aurally. Our bird survey ran from 9 May 2017 to 8 June 2017 for four consecutive weeks. To ensure a high number of visited sites, each sampling site was surveyed once during this period. It should be noted, however, that birds were usually very vocal and active during the dawn survey period and that this study only focuses on diurnal species that we can either see or hear. We recorded calls using a Zoom IQ7 audio recorder (Zoom North America, New York, USA) on an iPhone for four minutes to reduce the bias between the two sites having different canopy coverage and visibility [59]. Any bird spotted within the 50-m radius was identified and noted regardless of its activity (flying over, singing, feeding or nesting). The bird-call recordings were used for cross-checking and detecting further species. To identify the bird call, we relied on reference bird-call libraries such as xeno-canto and the Macaulay Library [60]. We were able to identify almost all of the individuals on the basis of their calls. To limit any bias from undetected birds, we also cross-checked the recording of several bird identifiers (n = 44), and we did not record birds already included at previous sampling sites to eliminate double counting. We also used an equal number of sites for each land-use type and applied the same methods at all sites.

Source of Information: Sustainability 2020, 12, 6472;

Article Link (Online Journal): doi:10.3390/su12166472

Funding Source:

1.

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Existing land-use practices are major drivers of biodiversity loss. Globally, land sharing has become popular because it ensures a high level of food production. Although it is often called a wildlife-friendly farming system, numerous studies show that it can negatively affect biodiversity. Protected areas in a land-sparing system, however, provide more adequate environments for preserving bird communities. Our study found a higher bird species richness, diversity and abundance in land-sparing sites than land-sharing sites. In Bangladesh, forests are converted into farmland because of increased food demand. Despite the positive effect on human livelihood and even some environmental aspects (e.g., carbon storage), this loss of forest negatively affects biodiversity through the loss and fragmentation of suitable habitats, direct human disturbances, the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and lower amounts of understory vegetation in these land-sharing systems. We identified three bird species (Arachnothera longirostra, Micropternus brachyurus, Copsychus malabaricus) that were significantly associated with bird communities of land-sparing areas. Thus, these species can be used as potential ecological indicators to evaluate the effect of land-use type and land-use change on biodiversity. We conclude that land sparing is a promising practice to adopt in the West Bhanugach Reserved Forest to preserve an abundant, rich and diverse bird community and preserve ecologically sensitive species that require land sparing to survive.

Knowledge Management: Journal