Authors :
Shehu, Basiru Gwandu; Aminu, Hadiza
Volume/Issue :
Volume 6 - 2021, Issue 11 - November
Google Scholar :
http://bitly.ws/gu88
Scribd :
https://bit.ly/31xPJ84
Abstract :
Deforestation is one of the major
environmental problems in Nigeria, drastically reducing
the amounts of green cover in the country and eroding
the economic, environmental and social values of the
plant communities. It is pertinent to understand the
extent and distribution of this degradation, including the
dynamics in the other related land uses such croplands.
Remote sensing data, tools and methods are effective in
determining and documenting these land dynamics. Two
satellite imagery of 1986 and 1999 were analysed to
determine land changes that occurred between these two
periods in an area covering about 500,000 hectares in the
rainforest area of southwest Nigeria. Thus, the method
applied was image processing using Erdas-imagine
software. The process involves pre-processing of the
imagery, classification and accuracy assessment. The
result shows that 17, 472 hectares of forest were removed
during the period under review. The extent of surface
water bodies, settlements and bare ground increased by
1,131, 9,073 and 15,565, respectively. Agricultural land
decreased by 8,296 hectares which could be related to the
urban expansion and other infrastructural development
in the area. This analysis was constrained by time,
resources and the techniques. However, it provided some
idea about change in the plant cover in the area from
1986 to 1999. This work could be scaled to national
scope.
Keywords :
Land cover change, satellite imagery, image processing, deforestation, tropical rainforest, southwest, Nigeria
Deforestation is one of the major
environmental problems in Nigeria, drastically reducing
the amounts of green cover in the country and eroding
the economic, environmental and social values of the
plant communities. It is pertinent to understand the
extent and distribution of this degradation, including the
dynamics in the other related land uses such croplands.
Remote sensing data, tools and methods are effective in
determining and documenting these land dynamics. Two
satellite imagery of 1986 and 1999 were analysed to
determine land changes that occurred between these two
periods in an area covering about 500,000 hectares in the
rainforest area of southwest Nigeria. Thus, the method
applied was image processing using Erdas-imagine
software. The process involves pre-processing of the
imagery, classification and accuracy assessment. The
result shows that 17, 472 hectares of forest were removed
during the period under review. The extent of surface
water bodies, settlements and bare ground increased by
1,131, 9,073 and 15,565, respectively. Agricultural land
decreased by 8,296 hectares which could be related to the
urban expansion and other infrastructural development
in the area. This analysis was constrained by time,
resources and the techniques. However, it provided some
idea about change in the plant cover in the area from
1986 to 1999. This work could be scaled to national
scope.
Keywords :
Land cover change, satellite imagery, image processing, deforestation, tropical rainforest, southwest, Nigeria
