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

Citation

Mafuwe K, Broadley S, Sithole N, Dhliwayo K (2018). Freshwater biodiversity of the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe: Assessing conservation priorities using primary species-occurrence data. Version 1.4. Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/uyrvez accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-05-14.

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

Study Extent

This study includes records of invertebrates, fish, birds and amphibians recorded from the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe obtained from the museum specimen records and literature found in the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe Zoology Collections.

Sampling

All records of freshwater species from the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe identified to genus, species or sub species level, collected between 1911 and 2017 were collated and used to develop this checklist. The records where digitized into Microsoft Excel (2010) database and the records where cleaned using OPEN REFINE Data cleaning tool (Version 2.5). Taxonomic ranks, status and authorship was also verified using The Catalogue of life List Matching Service (2017), Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) database, The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) name parser (2011) and The Global Names index database where possible.

Quality Control

While standardizing the records to DarwinCore standards, we carried out a major effort for checking errors and inconsistencies among the data using Excel, OPEN REFINE and GBIF Data validation tools. We followed the guidelines proposed by Chapman 2005 and also checked for synonyms and taxonomic errors in the data set

Method steps

  1. The creation of the checklist included the following processes: 1 A list of invertebrates, fish, birds and amphibians recorded from the given study area was obtained from the museum specimen records and literature found in the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe Zoology Collections. 2 Digitization and documentation of the list was carried out into Microsoft Excel (2010) database using Darwin Core Standards. 3. Data validation and cleaning was then carried out in OPEN REFINE (Version 2.5) as well as Microsoft Excel (2010) data validation tools. 4 The determination of taxonomic status and authorship and checking for taxonomic errors was carried out using The Catalogue of life List Matching Service, Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) database, The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) name parser and The Global Names index database where possible. 5. The dataset was then uploaded and published on the GBIF database using The Integrated Publishing Toolkit (version 1.2) for the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe.

Taxonomic Coverages

This data set covers records from fish, invertebrates, amphibians and bird species from the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe
  1. Insecta
    common name: Insects rank: class
  2. Amphibia
    common name: Frogs rank: class
  3. Aves
    common name: Birds rank: class
  4. 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

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Kudzai Mafuwe
originator
position: Curator
Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
Bulawayo
ZW
Sheila Broadley
originator
position: Curator
Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
Bulawayo
ZW
Nobuhle Sithole
originator
position: Curator
Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
Bulawayo
ZW
Kudzanai Dhliwayo
originator
position: Curator
Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
Bulawayo
ZW
Kudzai Mafuwe
metadata author
position: Curator
Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
Bulawayo
ZW
Kudzai mafuwe
content provider
email: kudzimaffy@gmail.com
Kudzai Mafuwe
administrative point of contact
position: Curator
Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
Bulawayo
ZW
Sheila Broadley
administrative point of contact
position: Curator
Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
Bulawayo
ZW
Nobuhle Sithole
administrative point of contact
position: Curator
Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
Bulawayo
ZW
Kudzanai Dhliwayo
administrative point of contact
position: Curator
Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe
Bulawayo
ZW
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