Floral Resources of key Afromontane Tree Species Predict Sunbird Distribution and Abundance in Ngel Nyaki Forest, Taraba State-Nigeria

Advertisements

Greener Journal of Biological Sciences

Vol. 11(2), pp. 8192, 2021

ISSN: 2276-7762

Copyright ©2021, the copyright of this article is retained by the author(s)

https://gjournals.org/GJBS

.

.

Description: Description: C:\Users\user\Pictures\Journal Logos\GJBS Logo.jpg

.

.

.

.

Floral Resources of key Afromontane Tree Species Predict Sunbird Distribution and Abundance in Ngel Nyaki Forest, Taraba State-Nigeria.

.

.

1*Charles Ayuk Nsor, 2Hazel M. Chapman, 3William Godsoe, 1Amina Haruna Aliyu

.

.

1Department of Biological Sciences, Gombe State University, Gombe-Nigeria

aliyuamina50@ gmail. com

2 School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch-New Zealand.

hazel.chapman@ canterbury. ac.nz

3Bio-Protection Centre, Lincoln University, Lincoln New Zealand william.godsoe@ lincoln.ac.nz

.

.

ARTICLE INFO

ABSTRACT

.

Article No.: 100521099

Type: Research

.

.

Background: Species diversity is a community attribute that is directly related to ecosystem productivity and trophic structure. Bird’s choice of habitat and by extension their distribution depends largely on the availability of critical resources. Abundance and diversity assessment of sunbird species at Ngel Nyaki forest reserve was conducted during and after peak periods of flowering of key bird visited tree species.

Methods: Line transects method was used to assess sunbird species abundance and distribution. Mist-nets placed strategically in places of high abundances and diversity of floral resources was used to capture and identify sunbird species that eluded observers during focal observations. Nineteen (19) transects cutting across two distinct habitat classes were used to record the abundance and diversity of sunbird species.

Results: A total of 3,035 individuals from 11 species, drawn from 8 genera in the Nectrinidae family were sighted and recorded during 1680 minutes (28 hrs) of focal observation. Sixteen (16) Afro-tropical tree species were sampled for interactions between sunbird species and their floral resources. Ninety nine (99) individuals of 8 sunbird species were captured after about 209hrs 4mins of trapping. Bird traps revealed three species that were not seen during focal observations. Results indicated that the reserve accounts for about 46.2 % of the total species of sunbirds in Nigeria and about 36.4% in the West African sub-region.

Conclusion: Although more individuals in total of the various sunbird species were sighted in the Core forest than in the riparian fragments, sunbird species diversity did not differ significantly between the two habitat classes. Floral resources and flowering phenology appear to be major drivers in the distribution and abundance of sunbird species at Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve.

.

Accepted: 08/10/2021

Published: 10/10/2021

.

*Corresponding Author

Charles Nsor

E-mail: charlesnsor@ yahoo.co.uk

Phone: +2348103303073

.

Keywords: Sunbird; Spatial distribution; Montane; Abundance; Diversity; Fragment

.

.

.

.

.

.

INTRODUCTION

.

Birds are among the most mobile organisms on earth, occurring in all habitats known to man. (Mann and Cheke, 2001); the ubiquitous nature of birds makes them a very important component of biodiversity, and as such; birds are often used as good indicators of the state of health of the environment (Pearce and Ferrier, 2001; Gregory et al., 2003). Birds mirror changes in other biodiversity (example other animals and plants) and are highly responsive and sensitive to environmental change; making them very useful in studies designed to address the effects of human and other environmental disturbances on community stability and productivity. Birds contribute substantially to the overall species richness of West African forests, currently recognized as biodiversity hotspots of global importance (Orme et al., 2005).

Species diversity is a community attribute that is directly related to ecosystem productivity and trophic structure (Tilman, 1996). Research has shown that community productivity is directly linked with species composition and diversity as well as patterns of distribution and interactions among species (Pringle et al., 2010).

In the past, ecosystem-function research such as pollination and dispersal, overlooked the relevance of species abundance /diversity and how this two attributes of a community can be used to improve understanding of ecosystem multi-functions and community productivity (Tilman, 1996). However, recent studies have shown the overarching importance of these parameters of ecological communities in predicting species extinction probabilities (Saavedra et al., 2011); evaluating network structure and species composition across various ecological islands, community productivity and stability (Bascompte et al., 2003, Memmott et al., 2004; Bastolla et al., 2009; Pringle et al., 2010).

For instance, Pringle et al. (2010) showed that the regular (even spacing) spatial pattern of termite mounds found in a homogeneous African savannah provided a guide for parallel spatial patterning in tree-dwelling, termite-dependent animal communities. Their findings, which also confirm that the uniformity of these patterns at small spatial scales enhanced productivity of the whole landscape; provide support for models linking spatial patterns with ecosystem processes and functioning (Memmott et al, 2004).

In the same manner, this study explored the predictive power of floral resources in determining the spatial structure of sunbird species at Ngel Nyaki. This was possible because floral resources form the main dietary component of sunbirds and are utilized by all sunbird species. Furthermore, studies have shown that vegetation structure is the most proximate factor that determines the spatial distribution of species; in addition bird diversity in any habitat is mainly determined by vegetation structure which is further enhanced by the plant species composition (Nsor and Chapman, 2013; Tela et al, 2021).

The main goal of this study was to underscore the importance of resource availability and sunbird abundance and diversity. The study had the following objectives; (1) Develop a comprehensive check-list of sunbird species at Ngel Nyaki forest. (2) Determine the relative contribution of focal tree species in the distribution of sunbird species in the two habitat types. (3) Determine the local distribution and abundance status of sunbird species at Ngel Nyaki forest relative to their regional or national distribution status.

.

.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

.

Study Site

.

The study was conducted at Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve (7.16˚N, 11.66˚E) located at the eastern edge of the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba state Nigeria (Fig. i) at an elevation of approximately 1550 m above sea level (Chapman and Chapman, 2001). Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve is 45 km2 in extent, of which approximately 7.5 km2 comprises montane/submontane forest (Chapman and Chapman 2001). The forest is surrounded by overgrazed grassland and savannah as well as associated riparian forests (Dowsett-Lemaire 1989).

At Ngel Nyaki, rain peaks during the months of June/July and September. Mean annual rainfall is approximately 1800 mm occurring between mid-April and mid-October (Chapman and Chapman, 2001). Mean maximum and minimum temperature for the wet and dry seasons are 26.1o C and 13.1o.C, and 23.1o C and 16. 1o C, respectively (Ezealor, 2002). Daily mean temperature has never exceeded 30 o C (Chapman and Chapman, 2001).

.

.

Tarabba Yelwa village

Fig. i. Map of Ngel Nyaki forest Reserve (right) and locator map of Ngel Nyaki and Taraba State (left).

.

.

Abundance estimation

.

Line transect census technique was used to estimate diversity and abundance of sunbirds found within the study site.

Line transect sampling in accordance with Bibby et al. (2000) was carried out between (06:30-09:30 GMT) and between (15:30 -18:30 GMT) each day. The survey took place between November, 2012 to February, 2013, and later between November 2013 and February 2014. Wet season assessment was conducted in April and May, 2013. A total of 19 transect ranging between 336 m to 1,737 m in length and covering a total distance of 16,654 m or 16.7 km were surveyed.

Transects were selected with a view to cover the entire Ngel Nyaki Forest reserve or such that we could obtain a representative data set that would account for the diversity of sunbird species at Ngel Nyaki Forest reserve. Nine transects fell along the edges of the core forest on the eastern side of the reserve, four in the core, while the other six were scattered within riparian fragments (Figure. ii). Each transect was surveyed twice in each season (November 2012 and February, 2013), making a total of four sessions per transect (morning and evening).

A pair of Nikon binoculars (8 x 10) was used to confirm the identity of birds located by eye. Only birds visually identified were included in the census data, as it was difficult to estimate the actual number of individuals based on calls alone. Other parameters recorded during transect monitoring sessions include; time an individual sunbird species was sighted, the number of individuals sighted, the species sighted and the closest flowering tree species (within a radius of approximately 20 m) to the location of the bird species at the time of sighting.

Additional information on species diversity was obtained from observing five individuals each of 16 flowering tree species in the two habitat types within the reserve to record sunbird interactions with floral resources such as pollen and nectar. Although this data was primarily generated for a comprehensive sunbird-tree pollination network (Nsor, 2014), it was helpful to complement the effort of identifying the various species found in the study area.

In a similar manner data from mist-netting to obtain pollen load on various sunbirds for pollen transport network, was used to complement sunbird diversity assessment (Nsor, 2014). This was achieved through intensive trappings at various locations across the forest (Fig iv). Mist nets were set up and monitored in the morning (18:00 hrs to 22:00 GMT, and evening at 15:30 to 17:30 GMT). Pollen extraction was achieved following the method of Kearns and Inuoye (1993). Pollen samples that were difficult to identify in the field were labelled and identified in the laboratory as described in Kearns and Inuoye (1993). However, about 10% of pollen could not be identified to the level of species. Captured sunbirds were identified to species and sex (if matured).

.

.

.

Fig.ii. Map showing layout of transects used during Sunbird species abundance and diversity survey at Ngel Nyaki forest (map was generated using GPS supported map application software on Samsung galaxy note 10.1”).

.

.

map of Ngel Nyaki 3b trapping points

Fig iii. Map showing the various locations were bird-trapping (mist-netting) was conducted at Ngel Nyaki.

.

.

C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Temp\screen.jpg

Fig iv: Generic distribution of sunbird species in the study area.

.

.

.

Data Analysis

.

Data were analyzed using SPSS version 15.0 (2013) and Excel. Specific analysis include: Independent sample T-test was used to compare the differences in diversity between the two habitat classes. We compared the rank abundance of species using a one-way ANOVA (Manu et al., 2010). The residuals of the dataset were tested for normality.

.

Sunbird Diversity

.

The diversity of sunbird species was estimated using Shannon Wiener Diversity index. The index which ranges from 0 to 1(with values close to 0 indicating low species diversity and values close to 1, indicating high species diversity); accounts for both the abundance and “evenness” of the species present. Species evenness is a measure of biodiversity, which quantifies how equal species in a community are numerically (Mulder et al., 2004).

To determine species diversity, the proportion of species (i) relative to the total number of species (pi) was calculated, and then multiplied by the natural logarithm of this proportion (lnpi).

.

The equation is given below:

        

H’ = – pi ln pi

.

Where pi = is the proportion of individuals of species “i” in relation to the total population of all species.

Hi = Shannon Wiener Diversity Index.

          ln = natural logarithm of base n

.

Two functional habitat groups were identified edge of core forest (yellow) and riparian fragments (red) (Figure 2). Diversity was estimated independently for transects found in each habitat category and also for the entire forest. This approach was to enable comparison of abundance and diversity between the two major habitat types.

.

.

RESULTS

.

Eleven (11) species of sunbirds accounted for a total of 3,035 individuals sighted and recorded during the transect survey. Species abundance varied significantly between sites (that is, edge of core forest and fragments), (ANOVA F1=56.171, P = 0.00) (Table 1.). Similarly, there was a significant difference in species diversity between the two sites (t1=18.17, P<0.04) as highlighted by Shannon Weiner Index (Hi for Edge = 1.145 and Hi for Fragment = 1.034). However, the overall diversity was found to be high at Ngel Nyaki forest; Hi = 1.19

.

The distance covered during the assessment correlated positively with abundance or number of species encountered (r=0.315, N=556, P = 0.00). Sunbird species were not evenly (spread) or spatially distributed (Fig. ii). Similarly, the number of bird species encountered increased with total transects length.

.

.

Table 1: Relative abundance of sunbird species at Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve

.

S/n

Species

Number of individuals (edge)

Relative abundance (Pi)

Number of individuals

(Fragment)

Relative abundance (Pi)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Northern double collared sunbird

Variable sunbird

Orange tufted sunbird

Green headed sunbird

Copper sunbird

Collared sunbird

Pygmy sunbird

Olive bellied sunbird

Olive sunbird

Cameroon sunbird

Western violate backed sunbird

Splendid sunbird

TOTAL

.

72

119

46

0

9

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

246

0.29

0.48

0.18

0

0.3

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

.

196

41

180

10

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

427

.

0.45

0.09

0.42

0.02

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

.

Hi for Edge = 1.145, Hi for Fragment = 1.034, Hi for Ngel Nyaki forest = 1.19

(Hi =Shannon Weiner diversity index)

.

 

.

Sunbird Species diversity at Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve

.

At Ngel Nyaki, we found 11 species occurring at different seasons with varying degrees of abundance. Five (5) of these 11 species were sighted and recorded during the month-long survey (Table 1). Three species (olive bellied sunbird Cinnyris chloropygius, olive sunbird Cyanomitra olivaceus and Green sunbird Anthreptes rectirostric) were captured during mist-netting and pollen load assessment, while an additional 2 (pygmy sunbird Anthodiata  platura and collared sunbird Hedydipna collaris) were recorded as visitors to the flowers of some focal tree species during visitation observation studies. In terms of generic differentiation, the results show that of the eight (8) occurring genera in Nigeria, five genera were represented at Ngel Nyaki forest. Cinnyris, the most common genus had 6 out of the 11 known species in this genus that occur in Nigeria. While Cyanomitra the second most abundant genus, had 3 out of four species known to occur in Nigeria (Fig iv).

.

.

DISCUSSION

.

Sunbird species diversity

.

In Nigeria, twenty seven (27) species of sunbirds occur with status ranging from very common; common; to uncommon or rare (Borrow and Demey, 2002). In this survey, 11 of the 27 species of sunbirds known to occur in Nigeria at Ngel Nyaki forest were recorded (Table 2). This forest therefore, accounts for about 46.2 % of the total species of sunbirds in Nigeria and about 36.4% in the West African sub-region (Mann and Cheke, 2001; Borrow and Demey, 2002). In terms of generic diversity, five of the eight generic groups of sunbirds known to occur in Nigeria were recorded at Ngel Nyaki forest (Fig iv). The genus Cinnyris was the most diverse and sunbirds from this genus were also the most common and abundant at Ngel Nyaki forest. However, the Cameroon sunbird C. oritis, and western violet-backed sunbird Anthreptes longuemarei, were never encountered in the study sites during any of the experimental assessments but based on regional distribution and local checklist; these species are known to occur at Ngel Nyaki (Borrow and Demey, 2002).

A growing body of empirical evidence suggests that the temporal stability of communities increases with diversity (Tilman, 1999; Cottingham et al., 2001; Valone and Hoffman, 2003; Tilman et al., 2006). This implies that knowledge of species diversity of a given locality or ecological community can inform on the functional dynamics and stability of that particular community. This assertion is built around the premise that certain species have obligate associations or interactions with species from other taxa for example fig trees and certain wasp species. It is on the basis of this that the congruence between floral resources and sunbird distribution/abundance at Ngel Nyaki forest was explored. As can be seen (Table 3) our results indicate that majority of the flowers of the tree species observed attracted sunbird species, with the exception of two species – Newtonia buchananii and Deibolia pinnata, where no single individual sunbird species was observed.

Although the scope of this study did not cover questions around resource preference and selection, knowing why sunbirds avoided this species despite the presence of some insects would have been insightful considering that the diets of sunbird species is basically composed of insects apart from their traditional diet of floral resources of pollen and nectar. For instance, At Ngel Nyaki the location of this present study, Nsor (2014) observed diet switch from nectar to insects in the variable sunbirds during the birds’ breeding season in the months of January-February (Mann and Cheke, 2001). This switch by the brooding mother was found to be due to the high demands of protein for the growing fledglings in the nest.

From the results, it can be reasoned that in terms of sunbird diversity, and in fact avian diversity generally, the bird-tree community structure in this forest, is bound to be temporally stable, as the results indicate a relatively high level of diversity (Valone and Hoffman 2003; Tilman et al., 2006).

.

.

Table 2: Sunbird Species in Ngel Nyaki relative to sunbird species occurrence in Nigeria.

S/N

Sunbird Species

Scientific Name

Genus

Ngel Nyaki

Local Status

Country status

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

Western Violet backed

Brown sunbird

Pygmy sunbird

Frazer’s sunbird

Olive sunbird

Collared sunbird

Bates sunbird

Little green sunbird

Buff throated sunbird

Reichenbach’s sunbird

Green headed sunbird

Cameroon sunbird

Blue throated brown

Camelite sunbird

Green throated

Scarlet chested

Variable sunbird

Tiny sunbird

Olive bellied sunbird

Northern double collared

Orange tufted

Copper sunbird

Splendid sunbird

Beautiful sunbird

Superb sunbird

Johanna’s sunbird

Green sunbird

Anthreptes longuemarei

Anthreptes  gaboricus

Anthodiaeta platura

Deleomis fraseri

Cyanomitra olivaceus

Hedydipna collaris

Cinnyris batesi

Anthreptes seimundi

Chalcomitra adelbeti

Anabathmis reichenbachii

Cyanomitra verticalis

Cyanomitra oritis

Cyanomitra cyanolaema

Chalcomitra fuliginosa

Chalcomitra rubescens

Chalcomitra senegalenses

Cinnyris venestrus

Cinnyris minullus

Cinnyris chloropygius

Cinnyris reichenowi

Cinnyris bouvieri

Cinnyris cuprues

Cinnyris coccinigastrus

Cinnyris pulchellus

Cinnyris superbus

Cinnyris johannae

Anthreptes rectilostris

Anthreptes

Anthreptes

Anthodiaeta

Deleomis

Cyanomitra

Hedydipna

Cinnyris

Anthreptes

Chalcomitra

Anabathmis

Cyanomitra

Cyanomitra

Cyanomitra

Chalcomitra

Chalcomitra

Chalcomitra

Cinnyris

Cinnyris

Cinnyris

Cinnyris

Cinnyris

Cinnyris

Cinnyris

Cinnyris

Cinnyris

Cinnyris

Anthreptes

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

Resident/uncommon

Not Recorded

Breeding visitor

Not recorded

Resident/uncommon

Resident/uncommon

Not recorded

Not recorded

Not recorded

Not recorded

Resident/uncommon

Resident/uncommon

Not recorded

Not recorded

Not recorded

Not recorded

Resident/PM

Not recorded

PM

Most Common R

Very Common R

Uncommon resident

Uncommon resident

Not recorded

Not recorded

Not recorded

Very rare

.

Common regionally

Very rare resident

Seasonal migrant/CV

CR in Southern Nigeria

CR

CR

Regionally common/UC

URR

URR

Rare Resident

Common Resident

Range restricted

Uncommon Resident

Very rare resident

URR

Common resident

Common Resident/PM

Very Rare

Common resident/PM

Range restricted

Range restricted

Common Resident

Common Resident

CRR

Rare resident

Very rare resident

New in range

Source Field survey and Borrow and Demey, 2001

URR=uncommon regional resident, CR=Common resident, CRR= Common Regional Resident, CV= Common Visitor, PM=Partial Migrant. NOTE Of the 13 notable species at Ngel Nyaki, 11 were recorded in this study while two species (Cameroon sunbird and Western-violet backed sunbird) included below were absent throughout the study

.

.

.

Table 3: Flowering Tree Species monitored at Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve.

S/N

Tree Species

Family

Habitat

Local Status

IUCN

Total number of flowers used

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Deinbolia pinnata

Harungana madagascariensis

Anthonotha noldea

Anthocleista vogelli

Croton macrastachyus

Nuxia cogesta

Albizia gummifera

Newtonia buchananii

Syzygium guinensis

Dombeya ledermannii

Canthium Sp.

Dalbergia latifolia

Polyscias fulva

Symphonia globulifera

Vitex doniana

Sterculia lanceolata

.

Sapindaceae

Hypericaceae

Leguminaceae

Gentianaceae

Euphorbiaceae

Loganiaceae

Fabaceae

Fabaceae

Myrtaceae

Sterculiaceae

Rubiaceae

Fabaceae

Araliaceae

Clausiaceae

Verbanaceae

Malvaceae

FE/FF

FC

FE

FF

FF

FE/FF

FF

FE

FF

FE

FE

FE

FE/FF

FE

FE

FE

Common

Uncommon

Common

Common

Common

Common

Common

Common

Common

Common

Common

Common

Common

Common

Common

Common

LC

LC

LC

LC

LC

LC

LC

LC

LC

CR

LC

VU

LC

LC

LC

LC

0

137 (3)

3223 (6)

3164 (4)

85 (5)

6246 (4)

4215 (5)

0

338 (3)

35 (4)

46 (4)

5824 (4)

10 (3)

2898 (5)

13 (1)

10 (1)

Source: Field survey2013

Note: FE= Forest edge, FF= Forest Fragment, FC= Forest Core, LC= Least Concern, CR= Critically Threatened, VU= Vulnerable. Values in bracket in the fifth column = total number of sunbird species, while those outside the bracket are the total number of flowers contacted.

.

Endemism

.

The occurrence of C. reichenowi and C. bouvieri at Ngel Nyaki forest and probably other adjoining forest within their range in the Mambilla Plateau, makes these forests the only other landscape in Nigeria besides Obudu plateau home to these species (Borrow and Demey 2002; Manu et al., 2010). This finding further strengthens and supports the view of a high degree of endemism and diversity of birds in most forest within this eco-region (Elgood et al., 1994; Stattersfield et al., 1998; Ezealor et al., 2002; Manu et al., 2010). Ngel Nyaki forest, therefore, could serve as an ecological refuge for many other species not yet recorded and may be crucial habitats for the survival of sunbird species, especially those that are endemic or range restricted, should the need arise for specific steps to be taken towards their protection and conservation.

.

Rarity

.

Although some sunbird species (example northern double collared sunbird, Orange tufted sunbird, and variable sunbird) recorded in this assessment fall among the most common bird species encountered daily at Ngel Nyaki; species such as splendid sunbird, collared sunbird, olive sunbird and olive bellied sunbird were rarely encountered (Plates 1 a –h). However, others such as the Cameroon sunbird and the western violet backed sunbird were never encountered regardless of the fact that recent and past literature suggest that they are present in this forest. (Borrow and Demey, 2002, Tony Disley, unpublished checklist). The absence of these species in our records suggests that they are probably highly seasonal, very elusive and rare in this forest. Our result could also imply that these species have probably shifted their range or are undergoing serious depression in population.

One remarkable contribution of this assessment was the record of green sunbird, a species that was previously excluded from this forest and in fact the entire Mambila plateau region as indicated in existing field guides of West African birds and related taxonomic literature (Borrow and Demey, 2002). Although quite rare at Ngel Nyaki, the sighting of this species further confirms our view that avian diversity at Ngel Nyaki forest has been undermined and under-explored.

.

.

.

Plates 1(a-h) Sunbird diversity in the study area.

a) Northern double collared sunbird (adult male)      b) Olive sunbird (adult)

c) Orange tufted sunbird (adult male)                                    d) Green headed sunbird (adult male)

C:\Documents and Settings\can63\Desktop\ACCADEMIC STUFF\In search of Sunbirds\MORE BIRDS IN NETS\DSC07267.JPG  C:\Documents and Settings\can63\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Word\DSC08408.jpg                                                     

e) Variable sunbird (male)                                                  f) Olive-bellied sunbird (adult female)

C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Word\DSC_7317.jpg  C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Word\P1030566.jpg

g) Green sunbird                                                                 h) Splendid sunbird

.

Abundance and habitat preference

.

Sunbird species varied in their spatial distribution and relative abundance. C. reichenowi was the most abundant throughout the period of investigation while C. bouvieri and C. venustrus were the second and third most abundant species, respectively (Table 1). Generally, there were more sightings of individuals of all species in 2012 than in 2013, indicating a variation in species abundance with season. Species evenness (that is, numerical equality of species in a given community) was low (Table 1), The poor species evenness and relatively high species diversity implies that sunbird species community at Ngel Nyaki forest would most likely exhibit multiple-ecosystem functions (multi-functionality) besides their quintessential roles of pollination as some studies have recently shown (Maestre et al., 2012). This possibility of multi-functionally will have strong implications for ecosystem stability and productivity.

Furthermore, the relative abundances of sunbird species derived from the results of this study give an idea of the number of possible (sunbird-tree) interactions that could be realized at Ngel Nyaki forest (Vazquez and Aizen, 2003). This assumption is in accordance with the report of Vazquez and Aizen, 2003, “that the number of interactions per species is strongly related to the relative abundance of species”. In addition, it can also be inferred on the types of inter and intra-specific interactions between sunbird species, especially in relation to resource utilization (for instance, floral resources).

While sunbird species differed in their distribution and abundance numerically; overall species distribution indicates that habitat preference was of a generalized nature at least for the three most abundant species (C. reichenowi, C. bouvieri and C. venustrus) (Table 1)

However, Green headed sunbird (Cyanomitra verticalis) and Copper sunbirds (Cinnyris cupreus) were restricted in their distribution and were recorded only at the fragment and edge of core forest respectively. C. venustrus, a species that ranked third in terms of overall abundance, was the most sighted and abundant species at the edge of the core forest throughout the entire period of the assessment. From our findings, this distribution pattern displayed by C. venustrus was conditioned by its breeding ecology. Each year one or more nest and even nestlings in 2014 of C. venustrus were discovered at the grassland habitats near the forest edge during transect observations. These birds built their nests about 2 feet above the ground on grass stems and spend a great deal of time hawking for insects to feed their young, hence their relative abundance during this period (January-February) and within this part of the forest. The fact that these nests were found only around the edges of the core forest is most likely an indication of the suitability of this particular habitat for the well-being and fitness of this species.

By intuition, it does appear that sunbird species showed a preference in their distribution across the two habitat types, especially with our finding that; C. reichenowi, the most common species at Ngel Nyaki forest was most abundant only within the fragment (Table 1). However, we lack empirical data to support any claim of habitat preference. It is most likely that the pattern of distribution of sunbird species at Ngel Nyaki forest is only a response to spatio-temporal variation in abundance of resources and fitness requirements of the focal species and not preference. This line of thought (especially fitness requirements), is supported by the seasonal abundance and almost ubiquitous presence of variable sunbird during the months of January and February when these birds engage in breeding. The high demand for energy to support the nestlings drives this species to look for insects to supplement the high-protein requirements in the diets of the nestlings. This dietary requirements result in daily expansion of their fundamental niche.

Although, the most plausible reason for their distribution is the spatio-temporal significance and suitability of the forest edge for its C. venustrus breeding requirements, which coincided with the period of the survey. We also contend that the distribution and relative abundance of C. venustrus at the edge compared to the fragment may also be an indication of its sensitivity and vulnerability to fragmented landscapes such as the riparian fragments of Ngel Nyaki. Although the scope of this assessment did not include testing habitat variables responsible for distribution and preferences by sunbird species, the results suggest that in line with most findings, vegetation structure, particularly availability of flowering tree species is a proximate factor accountable for the spatial distribution of sunbird species at Ngel Nyaki forest. The sighting and capture of Green sunbird, a species previously excluded from the distribution maps of the Mambilla plateau eco-region, is indicative of the fact that there could still be other un-assayed species in the study area.

.

.

CONCLUSION

.

This research results provide the background and framework for the development of comprehensive sunbird-tree pollination network. The generalized pattern of distribution of species, low species evenness and relatively high species diversity derived from the results of this assessment suggest that bird-tree interactions would not be limited by spatial distribution of resources at least for most species that have been found to be habitat generalist. Ngel Nyaki forest is indeed rich in sunbird diversity, probably the richest in the entire Mambilla plateau.

.

.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

.

The authors are grateful to the government of Taraba State for allowing us work in the reserve. Our gratitude also goes to the management of TEDfund for logistic and financial support. The staff and management of the Nigeria Montane Forest project (NMFP) are appreciated. Our field assistants (Mr. Elijah Nicodemus and Mr. Ahmadu Usman) are highly appreciated.

.

.

CONFLICTING INTEREST

.

Authors are in agreement with all aspects of this publication and declare no conflicting interest.

.

ORCID

Nsor Charles Ayuk : https://orcid.org/ 0000-0001-8978-1322

.

.

REFERENCES

.

Bascompte, J., Jordano, P., Melián, C. J., and Olesen, J. M. (2003). The Nested Assembly of Plant-Animal Mutualistic Networks. Procs of the Natl Acd of Scs of the United States of America, 100(16), 9383-9387.

Bastolla, U., Fortuna, M. A., Pascual-Garcia, A., Ferrera, A., Luque, B., and Bascompte, J. (2009). The architecture of mutualistic networks minimizes competition and increases biodiversity. Nat, 458(7241), 1018-1020.

Bibby, C. J., Burgess, N. D., Hill, D. A., and Mustoe, S. H. (2001). Bird Census Techniques. Academic Press, London. 302 pp.

Borrow, N., and Demey, R. (2002). A Guide to the Birds of Western Africa. Princeton University Press. Pp. 392 – 401

Chapman, J. D., and Chapman, H. M. (2001). The Forests of Taraba and Adamawa States, Nigeria. An Ecological Account and Plant Species Checklist. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. Kew Bulletin Pp. 17-32

Cottingham, K., Brown, B., and Lennon, J. (2001). Biodiversity may regulate the temporal variability of ecological systems. Ecol. Letts, 4(1), 72-85.

Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1989). The flora and phytogeography of the evergreen forests of Malawi I: Afromontane and mid-altitude forests. Bullt du Jardin botanique natl de Belgique/Bulletin van de Nationale Plantentuin van Belgie, 3-131.

Elgood, J. H., Heigham, J. B.,Moore, A. M., Nason, A. M., Sharland, R. E., and Skinner, N. J. (eds). (1994). The Birds of Nigeria, (2nd edition). BOU Checklist No. 4. Tring: British Ornithologists’ Union.

Ezealor, A. (2002). Critical sites for biodiversity conservation in Nigeria: Nigerian Conservation Foundation; Pp 673-682

Gregory, R. , Noble, D., Field, R., Marchant, J., Raven, M., and Gibbons, D. W. (2003). Using birds as indicators of biodiversity. Ornis Hungarica, 12(13), 11-24.

Kearns, C. A., and Inouye, D. W. (1993). Techniques for Pollination Biologists. University Press of Colorado.

Maestre, F. T., Castillo-Monroy, A. P., Bowker, M. A., and Ochoa-Hueso, R. (2012). Plant species richness and ecosystem multifunctionality in global drylands. Sc., 335(6065), 214-218.

Mann, C. F., and Cheke, R. A. (2001). Sunbirds: A guide to the sunbirds, flowerpeckers, spiderhunters and sugarbirds of the world. Christopher Helm, A&C Black. First Edition , Pp 56- 122

Manu, S., Imong, I. S., and Cresswell, W. (2010). Bird species richness and diversity at montane Important Bird Area (IBA) sites in south-eastern Nigeria. Bird Consv. Intl, 20(3), 231-239.

Memmott, J., Waser, N. M., and Price, M. V. (2004). Tolerance of Pollination Networks to Species Extinctions. Procs: Biol. Scs, 271(1557), 2605-2611.

Mulder, C., Bazeley-White, E., Dimitrakopolos, P. G., Hector, A., Schere-Lorenzen, M., and Schmid, B. (2004). Species evenness and productivity in experimental plant communities. Oikos, 107(1), 50-63.

Nsor C. A. (2014). Sunbird pollination and the fate of strong contributors to a mutualistic network in a West African Montane Forest. Doctoral Thesis. University of Canterbury Repository. UC. Library. Pp. 51-72

Nsor, C. A., and Chapman, H. M. (2013). Preliminary investigation into the avian pollinators of three tree species in a Nigerian montane forest. Malimbus, 35, 38–49.

Orme, C.D.L., Davies, R. G., Burgess, M., Eigenbrod, F., Pickup, N., Olson, V. A., . . . Ridgely, R. S. (2005). Global hotspots of species richness are not congruent with endemism or threat. Nat., 436(7053), 1016-1019.

Pearce, J., and Ferrier, S. (2001). The practical value of modelling relative abundance of species for regional conservation planning: a case study. Biol. Conserv, 98(1), 33-43.

Pringle, R. M., Doak, D. F., Brody, A. K., Jocqué, R., and Palmer, T. M. (2010). Spatial pattern enhances ecosystem functioning in an African savanna. PLoS biol., 8(5), e1000377.

Saavedra, S., Stouffer, D. B., Uzzi, B., and Bascompte, J. (2011). Strong contributors to network persistence are the most vulnerable to extinction. Nat., 478(7368), 233-235

Stattersfield, A., Crosby, M., Long, A., and Wege, D. (1998). Endemic Bird Areas of the World: priorities for biodiversity conservation, BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK.

Tela, M., Cresswell., W, and Chapman, H. (2021) Pest-removal services provided by birds on subsistence farms in south-eastern Nigeria. PloS ONE. 16(8): e0255638. https://doi.org/10.1371/ journal.pone.0255638

Tilman, D. (1996). Biodiversity: population versus ecosystem stability. Ecol., 77(2), 350-363.

Tilman, D. (1999). The ecological consequences of changes in biodiversity: a search for general principles 101. Ecol, 80(5), 1455-1474.

Valone, T. J., and Hoffman, C. D. (2003). A mechanistic examination of diversitystability relationships in annual plant communities. Oikos, 103(3), 519-527.

Vázquez, D. P., and Aizen, M. A. (2003). Null model analyses of specialisation in plant-pollinator interactions. Ecol., 84(9), 2493-2501.

.

.

.

.

.

Cite this Article: Nsor, CA; Chapman, HM; Godsoe, W; Aliyu, AH (2021). Floral Resources of key Afromontane Tree Species Predict Sunbird Distribution and Abundance in Ngel Nyaki Forest, Taraba State-Nigeria. Greener Journal of Biological Sciences, 11(2): 8192..

 

 

PDF Viewer

Loader Loading...
EAD Logo Taking too long?

Reload Reload document
| Open Open in new tab

Download [548.84 KB]

.

Loading

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

× Chat on Whatsapp?