• Login
    View Item 
    •   UoN Digital Repository Home
    • Theses and Dissertations
    • Faculty of Science & Technology (FST)
    • View Item
    •   UoN Digital Repository Home
    • Theses and Dissertations
    • Faculty of Science & Technology (FST)
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Habitat utilization by birds, hippopotamus (hippopotamus amphibious) and livestock in lake Ol'bolossat, Kenya.

    Thumbnail
    Date
    2003
    Author
    Njeri, Teresiah
    Type
    Thesis
    Language
    en
    Metadata
    Show full item record

    Abstract
    The field study was conducted between April and November 1999. The study established the habitat use and activity budget for Red knobbed coots (Fulicata cristata), Egyptian geese (Alopochen aegyptica), Yellow-billed ducks (Anas undulata) and Glossy ibises (Plegadis falcinellus). Habitat use was established based on the number of birds of each species in each habitat type. For all the species, the marshland was occupied by significantly more birds that all other habitats Red Knobbed coot (p=0.0007), Egyptian geese (p=0.001) Yellow billed duck (p= 0.00) and Glossy ibis (p=O.OOO).The marshland was the most preferred habitat type by all the birds. The activity budgets for the birds were obtained usmg the scan sampling method. Among all the birds, feeding was allocated significantly more time; Red Knobbed' coot (p=0.001), Egyptian geese (p=0.001) Yellow billed duck (p=O.OOI)and Glossy ibis (p=O.OOI). The small birds spent more time feeding than bigger birds. Movement and loafmg was common in the early ours of the afternoon. The study also estimated the population size, density, distribution and habitat utilization by hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibious). The " hippopotamus population estimates were done tlUough the total count method. The density was established as 1.9 hippos/km'. The distribution of hippopotamus was found to depend on the availability of water. Their foraging habitat is limited to a distance of2.8-3.3 Ian around the Lake. The distance travelled while foraging is related to the availability of resources. The hippopotamus therefore travel long distances when food is scarce. The distances travelled by hippopotamus in eastern and western side were not significantly different (p=O.215) The effect 0f livestock grazing was established using the difference method. The livestock occurs in the wetland in large numbers and they have adverse effects on it. They remove significantly more biomass form the wetland as compared to hippopotamus (p=O.OO1).
    URI
    http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/24679
    Citation
    MSc
    Publisher
    School of Biological Sciences, University of Nairobi
    Description
    Master of Science degree in Biology of Conservation
    Collections
    • Faculty of Science & Technology (FST) [3797]

    Copyright © 2019 
    University of Nairobi Library
    | UoN Quality Policy | Send Feedback
     

    Browse

    All of UoN Digital RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    Copyright © 2019 
    University of Nairobi Library
    | UoN Quality Policy | Send Feedback