Journal of Ecology & Natural Resources ISSN: 2578-4994 The Impact of Forest Invasion in the Glades on Birds in Arusha National Park 1 2 3 Masolele MM *, Kahana LW and Sylvina TJ Research Article 1Serengeti Biodiversity Programme, Tanzania Volume 1 Issue 2 2College of African Wildlife Management Mweka, Tanzania Received Date: August 01, 2017 Published Date: August 21, 2017 3Independent, College of African Wildlife Management Mweka, Tanzania DOI: 10.23880/jenr-16000108 *Corresponding author: Majaliwa M Masolele, Bachelor Degree in Wildlife Management-College of African Wildlife Management, P.O.BOX 661, Arusha, Tanzania, Tel: +255743227297/+255683211137; E-mail:
[email protected] Abstract This study was aimed at determining how growth of forest into man-made and natural glades affects bird species diversity, richness and evenness, and feeding guild composition in Arusha National Park, Tanzania. The fixed belt transect plot was used to survey bird species during the wet season. Fifty-eight bird species among 29 Families from 11 Orders were recorded. Passeriformes was the dominant Order for both glade types. The Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index was highest for man-made glades, as compared to that of natural glades (H’=3.677 and H’= 3.1, respectively). Student’s t-test analysis of the means of bird diversity in forest transects and corresponding forest-invaded glade transects showed that there was no significant difference in bird species diversity between the two glade types (t = -3.4208, p = 0.07186). Man- made glades had a higher species richness than natural glades (Margalef’s Richness Index R1=8.93 and R1=6.219, respectively) and this variation was statistically significant (Chi-square: χ2 = 4.5696, P = 0.033).