Analyse des bilans d'inventaires hivernants des oiseaux d'eau au niveau de la wilaya de Sétif durant la période 2022-2025

Abstract

This study is part of an ecological approach aimed at analyzing waterbird census data collected between 2022 and 2025 across 18 wetlands in the Sétif region. The main objective is to assess species diversity, community structure, and the ecological quality of wetland habitats using scientific indicators such as the Shannon diversity index (H') and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results reveal a significant variation in species diversity among sites, strongly in-fluenced by abiotic factors (hydrology, salinity, human disturbance) and biotic factors (food availability, ecological interactions). Among the studied sites, Sebkhet Bazer stands out as a key location for the conservation of migratory waterbirds, with the highest numbers recorded in 2024 and 2025—41,098 and 34,361 individuals, respectively. The presence of the endan-gered species white-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala), listed as Endangered (EN) by the IUCN, was confirmed at three wetland sites: Sebkhet Bazer, the Soumar hill reservoir, and the Ain Zada dam. Additionally, an exceptional population of common shelducks (Tadorna tadorna)—estimated at nearly 30,000 individuals—was recorded at Sebkhet Bazer. Shannon index values confirmed high species richness at certain sites, particularly the Ain Zada and Sebkhet Bazer indicating well-structured and diverse communities. These findings high-light the ecological importance of specific wetlands in Sétif, acting as vital biodiversity reser-voirs and habitats for waterbirds, especially in the face of ongoing climate change.