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Author(s): Alarape A. A, Yager G. O, Akuse V. H.

Volume/Issue: Volume 1 , Issue 1 (2018)

Abstract:

Assessment of Land use/ Land cover dynamics is critical for conservation, sustainable use and development of natural resources in protected areas. In the present study Pandam Wildlife Park (PWP) has been considered for the evaluation of land use/land cover changes and the effect these could have on herbivores. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), an indicator of vegetation growth and coverage, has been employed to describe the spatiotemporal characteristics of land use/ land cover, including percent vegetation coverage using multi spectral remote sensing. The Land use/Land cover (LULC) classification was done based on four classes and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) using LANDSAT datasets of TM, ETM+ and OLI satellite imageries between 1987 and 2017 using maximum likelihood classification scheme. The result of the LULC assessment based on NDVI for PWP between 1987 and 2017 reveals that riparian habitat has been decreased drastically by 33.29 sq km and swampy area has been increased by 156.75 sq km between 1987 to 2017. Changes were noted in the aerial extents of water bodies as well. There were clear and consistent trends of land cover changes with superiority of area coverage of vegetated land completely lost over the decade. This caused a reduction in forage resources and decline in population of herbivores in the park. Thus, riparian vegetation has been on the decreasing trend whereas other land covers features especially swampy areas are on the increase as affirmed by various LULC maps affirmed to this change. There is the need to prevent logging, fuel-wood collection/charcoal production and bush burning in PWP to make forage sufficiently available for herbivores. Regular follow up to this study would provide a guideline on securing habitats and forage for PWP’s fauna.

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