Freshwater biodiversity of the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe: Assessing conservation priorities using primary species-occurrence data

Kudzai Mafuwe

doi:10.15468/3nmnel

Freshwater biodiversity of the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe: Assessing conservation priorities using primary species-occurrence data

Citation

Mafuwe K (2023). Freshwater biodiversity of the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe: Assessing conservation priorities using primary species-occurrence data. Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/3nmnel accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-05-15.

Description

The Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe harbors several freshwater species of conservation interest, such as birds, invertebrates, fish and amphibians, whose numbers and distribution are little known. The impacts of the on-going human activities and threats such as agricultural expansion, illegal mining activities and introduction of alien invasive species on the local wetland biodiversity, and the integrity of the ecosystem in the region is also not very clear. A related problem is the inaccessibility and unavailability of the relevant data on the wetland biodiversity from previous studies and surveys, for policy and decision making in the area. This project seeks to mobilise the much required data on freshwater biodiversity in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe and make use of Biodiversity Informatics tools to identify the important sites for Conservation of Freshwater biodiversity, with a focus on fish, invertebrates, amphibians and bird species in the region. The outputs from this project will therefore help to show policy makers. Wildlife managers, researchers and conservationists where to target resources and conservation effort should be target and will help protect the biodiversity that still occur in the unprotected wetlands of this region, that could be lost to human activities such as clearing for agriculture.

Sampling Description

Method steps

Taxonomic Coverages

This data set covers records from fish, invertebrates, amphibians and bird species from the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe Class Insecta (Insects), Amphibia (Frogs), Aves (Birds), Actinopterygii (Fish)

Insecta
common name: Insects rank: class
Amphibia
common name: Frogs rank: class
Aves
common name: Birds rank: class
Actinopterygii
common name: Fish rank: class

Geographic Coverages

This dataset covers records of specimens collected from The Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe a biodiversity hotspot that forms part of the Eastern Afromontane region Bounding Coordinates South West [-21.806, 31.904], North East [-17.141, 33.047]

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Kudzai Mafuwe
originator
position: Curator of Entomology
Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
ZW

Kudzai Mafuwe
metadata author
position: Curator of Entomology
Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
ZW

Kudzai Mafuwe
curator
position: Curator of Entomology
Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
ZW

Kudzai Mafuwe
administrative point of contact
position: Curator of Entomology
Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
ZW