Avian species richness and diversity at the Dschang Municipal Lake, Cameroon: Implications of site management for conservation and ecotourism

This study was carried out to examine avian species richness and diversity at the Dschang Municipal Lake and to determine the effects of ecotourism infrastructural development on the avifauna distribution. The habitat around the lake was stratified into the undeveloped eastern part with natural/farm bush vegetation cover and the infrastructural developed western part with buildings and carpet grass lawns. A total of six transects each of 400 m length were established for bird census by vision and through their calls/songs. Sixty one (61) bird species were observed at the Dschang Municipal Lake amongst which seven were Palearctic migrants, 10 Inter-African migrants and 44 Residents. Two rare and occasional species were observed; the Fulvous Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) and Intermediate Egret (Egretta intermedia). No significant seasonal variation was observed for bird species richness and diversity as our survey seasons were not very distinct. Similarly, species richness did not vary significantly between the undeveloped and the ecotourism infrastructural developed parts but varied in diversity index. Diversity index for water birds was greater in the undeveloped part of the lake while for terrestrial birds it was the reverse. Overall, this landscape heterogeneity at the Dschang Municipal Lake with developed and undeveloped parts provide a variety of habitat types for the diversity of bird species recorded and should be properly managed and conserved from a landscape approach.   Key words: Bird, wetlands, dam, seasonal variations,habitat variations.