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Coordinated and published by The Grassroots Institute, the Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources (GJNR) is an international journal dedicated to the latest advancements in natural resources throughout the world. The goal of this journal is to provide a platform for scientists, social scientists, policy analysts, managers and practitioners (on all academic and professional levels) all over the world to promote, discuss and share various new issues and developments in different arenas of natural resources.
Augustine Mureri*1, Pascal Manyakaidze2, Tinashe Muteveri3, Regis Musavengane4,
Caston Muchadudza Makaka5
1Department of Land and Water Resources Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Management, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe; Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe. Email: augurmureri@gmail.com | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6214-1224
2aDepartment of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe.
Email: manyakaidzep@staff.msu.ac.zw | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0355-4239
2bCentre for Information, Learning and Knowledge Transfer, Local Initiatives and Development (LID) Agency, Donga Rural Service Centre, Shurugwi, Zimbabwe.
3Department of Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe.
Email: tinashe.muteveri@gmail.com | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4773-7259
4Department of Geography, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9301, South Africa; Centre for Information, Learning and Knowledge Transfer, Local Initiatives and Development (LID) Agency, Donga Rural Service Centre, Shurugwi, Zimbabwe. Email: regmuss2000@yahoo.com | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5276-7911
5Department of Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe.
Email: makakac@staff.msu.ac.zw | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8615-9036
*Corresponding author
Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(3): 367-393. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080315
Received: 22 October 2025
Reviewed: 11 November 2025
Provisionally Accepted: 13 November 2025
Revised: 20 November 2025
Finally Accepted: 25 November 2025
Published: 31 December 2025
The high rate of wetland degradation, which has reached over 40 percent in the past 30 years, has raised conservation concerns worldwide. The role of local communities in assessing wetland health has not been integrated with scientific approaches, and efforts are needed to harmonise these perspectives. This study examines the health of the Driefontein wetlands, a Ramsar site, by evaluating the distribution and composition of vegetation and bird species as indicators of wetland health during the dry season. Five 10 m x 50 m zones were established around each of five selected pools and subdivided into quadrants for sampling wetland indicator vegetation, in accordance with the Environmental Management Agency's Wetland Species Indicator Guide. Bird counts were conducted twice a day, once a week, over four months during the dry season. Findings revealed variations in vegetation richness and diversity across various zones, with species richness and diversity decreasing as distance from the water source increased. The 10-20 m and 20.1-30 m zones exhibited the highest species richness (R=14) and diversity (Shannon indices of 2.216 and 2.188, respectively), while the 40.1-50 m zone had the lowest (R=10, Shannon = 1.2). Dominant species in the 10-20 m zone included Typha latifolia subsp. capensis (31.5%) and Phragmites australis (17%). Species richness declined with distance, with some species failing to thrive beyond 30 m. Bird counts indicated dominance by egrets (66.9%) and cranes (15.3%), with Bubulcus ibis (49.2%) being the most prevalent indicator of wetland birds. The combined use of vegetation and avian indicators for wetland health assessment offers greater opportunities to inform development and conservation efforts.
Wetland health; Sustainable community-based management; Avian indicator; Vegetation richness
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Mureri, A., Manyakaidze, P., Muteveri, T., Musavengane, R. and Makaka, C.M. (2025). Utilization of Vegetation and Avian Indicators for Wetland Health Assessment at the Driefontein Ramsar Site, Zimbabwe. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(3): 367-393. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080315
Mureri, A., Manyakaidze, P., Muteveri, T., Musavengane, R., & Makaka, C.M. (2025). Utilization of Vegetation and Avian Indicators for Wetland Health Assessment at the Driefontein Ramsar Site, Zimbabwe. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(3), 367-393. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080315
Mureri A., Manyakaidze P., Muteveri T., Musavengane R., Makaka C.M. Utilization of Vegetation and Avian Indicators for Wetland Health Assessment at the Driefontein Ramsar Site, Zimbabwe. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 2025, 8 (3), 367-393. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080315
Mureri, Augustine, Manyakaidze, Pascal, Muteveri, Tinashe, Musavengane, Regis, Makaka, Caston Muchadudza. 2025. “Utilization of Vegetation and Avian Indicators for Wetland Health Assessment at the Driefontein Ramsar Site, Zimbabwe”. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8 no. 3: 367-393. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080315
Mureri, Augustine, Pascal Manyakaidze, Tinashe Muteveri, Regis Musavengane and Caston Muchadudza Makaka. 2025. “Utilization of Vegetation and Avian Indicators for Wetland Health Assessment at the Driefontein Ramsar Site, Zimbabwe”. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8 (3): 367-393. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080315
| Internet Archive: | https://archive.org/details/m-00615 |
| WorldCat: | https://search.worldcat.org/title/11063258640 |
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