The difference in avifauna between 2006 and 2016 in Duzce Efteni Lake

THE DIFFERENCE IN AVIFAUNA BETWEEN 2006 AND 2016 IN DUZCE EFTENI LAKE Erdinç SARCAN Duzce University Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Forest Engineering Master's Thesis Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Akif KETEN July 2019, 47 pages Birds are a class that significantly respond to ecological changes. Therefore, they are evaluated as a indicator group in the monitoring of habitats. The current study was carried out to determine the differences of bird species and populations between the periods 2006-2007 and 2015-2016 in Duzce - Efteni Lake. Similar to the work done in 2006-2007, it was carried out in the period of 2015-2016. Birds surveys was conducted monthly during from March 2015 to February 2016. Point counts and transect methods were used for determining the bird species and the population. A total of 113 species were identified from 39 families of 16 classes, and 14802 individuals were counted. Eurasian coot (Fulica atra L. 1758) were the most dominant species with 3536 numbers of indivudial. Anatidae is family with the most species. The highest number of families determined by 51.3% is the class of Passeriformes. In the period 2006-2007, A total of 113 species were determined, and 14802 individuals were counted. Bird species richness (t test = 1.268, p = 0.218) and the number of individuals (t test = 0.893, p = 0.381) did not vary among observation periods. Community similarity with Sorenson Index was calculated as 0.76 between the two periods. Despite the high similarity, changes in the species composition were determined. Birds community composition were separated two main groups (October-March and April-September) with cluster analisys. Species richness was lower in the winter than in the summer months. However, the number of individuals was higher in cold periods. The population levels of the winter migratory species are higher than summer migratory species. The lack of structural changes in the Efteni Lake, or its preservation of its original form, may be the main reason for the species not to change. Long-term monitoring is needed in the future. Natural ecosystems such as wetlands are complex and sensitive, so they should be monitored long term. Bird trend is essential for management application in the monitoring and conservation of biological diversity in natural areas. Keywords: Waterbird, Wetland, Winter migrants, Biodiversity, Sorenson similarity index