Abundance And Species Richness Of Birds In Mined And Non-mined Sites Of The Jos Plateau, Nigeria.
Abstract
This study investigated the bird species abundance and diversity in mined and un-mined sites of the Jos Plateau, Nigeria that has been devastated by mining activities. Ten points each were selected in the two sites and birds counted using the point transect method. Mean number of birds was higher in the non-mined site (21.19±1.127) than the mined site (17.96±0.836). Results also showed a significant difference in the relative abundance of bird species between the two sites (Kruska-Wallis One –Way ANOVA, X2 =799.510, df=1, p=0.036). Species diversity was higher in the mined site with 40 species than the non-mined with 30 species. The mined site has created a new habitat for wetland birds resulting in an increase in the bird diversity of water birds on the Plateau. It is suggested that this observation should be considered when reclamation measures are put in place.
