Publication Title The Dynamics of Agricultural Land use Using Multi-Spectral Imageries in Southern Part of Nigeria Download PDF
Publication Type journal
Publisher Geoinformatics & Geostatistics:
Paper Link http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2327-4581.S1-007
Publication Authors Oluwagbenga OI Orimoogunje1 *, Okwudili Endurance Ndidi2 and Olusegun Ekanade
Year Published 2013-02-02
Abstract The study examined the factors inluencing spatial agricultural land use change and modeled the factors for detecting change in agricultural land use in the Southern part of Nigeria. This was with a view to assessing the dynamics of agricultural land use using multispectral imageries in the study area. The study integrated ieldwork and satellites imageries from Land sat Thematic Mapper (TM) 1987, Landsat Enhance Mapper (ETM+) 2002 and NigeriaSat-1 2007 coupled with socio-economic survey. Digital image processing was carried out for satellite imageries. Spatial analysis was achieved using the Arc View (3.2), ArcGIS (9.2) and ILWIS 3.3 software packages. Spatial change in agricultural land use from 1987 to 2007 was tracked from the classiied imageries by digitization, overlay operations (by subtraction) and graphical displays. The trend of the change of each identiied agricultural land use type between the study periods was determined using cross operation of the ILWIS 3.3 software. The population for the study consisted of farmers in the 28 settlements in the study area, out of which ten settlements were randomly selected using the table of random numbers. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed the trend of changes in the study area, as arable farmland/shrub increased by 0.27% between 1987 and 2002 and decreased by 2.63% between 2002 and 2007, bare land decreased by 1.23% and 6.69% between 1987 and 2002, and between 2002 and 2007 respectively. Moreover, built-up area experienced increase by 3.8% and 9.39% between 1987 and 2002, and between 2002 and 2007 respectively. The forest region also experienced increase by 4.49% between 1987 and 2002 and 0.70% between 2002 and 2007. The plantation cover reduced by 3.15% between 1987 and 2002 and experienced an increase of 2.26% between 2002 and 2007. The results also showed that the factors responsible for the land use changes were population increase (38.7%), rate of development (14.3%), fertility of the soil (19%), availability of roads (7.7%), encroachment into plantation and conversion of forest into farmland and settlement (3.0%) and expansion of crop land (17.3%). The study concluded that human activities were signiicant drivers that determined environmental degradation in the study area