Effects of wildfire on vegetation and understory avian communities in montane rainforests, north-eastern Tanzania

The Eastern Arc Mountains are part of the Eastern Afromontane global biodiversity hotspot with a remarkable concentration of endemic species. Wildfire is among the major threats to biodiversity of forested mountains. This study assessed the effect of forest fire on the vegetation and understory birds in the Magamba montane forest, 5 years post a major fire outbreak. Mist-net transects were used to sample understory birds. During the breeding season, active bird nests were searched using the time-constrained method in both burnt and unburnt forests. Vegetation plots were sampled along the mist-net transects, and shrubs and trees were identified and counted. The diversity of trees and shrubs, tree density per plot and canopy cover were significantly higher at unburnt than burnt sites with no difference in shrub density per plot. Bird species composition and number of nests between burnt and unburnt forests differed significantly with a considerable decline of forest interior bird specialists in burnt areas. An invasive plant species, Acacia melanoxylon, was found in dense groves within burnt sites and if not controlled, would escalate the fire regimes to further affecting plants and avian communities. Fire management, restoration and rehabilitation of burnt areas are among the immediate recommended actions.