Ecology
The Hadejia-Nguru wetlands are on the List of Ramsar wetlands of international importance. Nguru Lake and the Marma Channel complex (58,100 ha) are designated a Ramsar Site. The wetlands are important for waterbirds, both for breeding species and for wintering and passage Palearctic waterbirds. The estimated waterbird population varies between 200,000 and 325,000. 377 bird species have been seen in the wetlands, including occasional sightings of the near-threatened Pallid Harrier and Great Snipe species.
The Bade-Nguru Wetlands sector of the Chad Basin National Park covers 938 km2 of the wetlands. Parts of the wetlands are protected by five Forest Reserves, a Wildlife Sanctuary and a Ramsar Site. With reduced flooding and increasing population, the environment is degrading and there is growing competition between humans and wildlife. Farmers set out poison to kill the crop-destroying Quelea quelea, in the process killing non-target species. Marginal land is now coming under cultivation and tree cover in the forest reserves is being depleted.
Read more about this topic: Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands
Famous quotes containing the word ecology:
“... the fundamental principles of ecology govern our lives wherever we live, and ... we must wake up to this fact or be lost.”
—Karin Sheldon (b. c. 1945)