Afforestation of Transformed Savanna and Resulting Land Cover Change: A Case Study of Zaria (Nigeria)

Abstract

This paper presents the effects of actions aiming at tree planting, and thus protection of the land belonging to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria (Nigeria) from erosion. This area is located within the northern limits of the Guinea savanna belt, which has been considerably transformed primarily for agricultural purposes. For years this area has been subjected to the destructive surface and gully erosion processes, which were documented both by field work and the analysis of high-resolution images presented by Google Earth. Land erosion leads to the silting of an impounding reservoir (Kubanni)—the primary water source for the university campus and the basis for its existence. Since 2000, the university has been actively involved in tree-planting efforts in the campus vicinity, executed mainly through the establishment of small plantations ranging in area from approximately 1 ha to 56 ha. Today, these measures have brought tangible effects such as increment of tree-planted expanses, as evidenced in the multitemporal analysis of the Landsat 7 ETM+ and Landsat 8 OLI satellite images. The increasing planted area protects both the soil and the reservoir. A marked stand increment (almost doubled) has been recorded, which is evident from the satellite imageries, and is presented on the land-use map produced with GIS technique for this project.

Rainfall and Temperature Variations in a Dry Tropical Environment of Nigeria

“…The study domain is majorly influenced by the dry and stable continental air from across the Saharan desert. This trend makes the zone fall under the Sudan-Sahel climate region of Nigeria with a latitude from 11 o to 13 o [30] . On the monthly average, the difference between the maximum highest temperatures and lower temperatures is 10 °C for the study areas.…”

Potential Erosion in Mining, Oil Palm Plantations, and Watersheds Reforestation Areas

“…Reforestation efforts can also contribute to the restoration of biodiversity, improved habitat quality, and carbon sequestration, further enhancing the overall sustainability and ecosystem services provided by watersheds. Innovative greening is required, with the methods of planting, maintenance, and conventional plantations as an alternative form of management [11]. To thoroughly understand reforestation, erosion, and watershed dynamics, hydrological modeling, soil analysis, and long-term monitoring are required.…”