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.
Highlights
Quarters; most of them are densely wooded; Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) teaching and administration areas, other facilities (Shika Hospital, Centre for Energy Research and Training), and some new developments; Areas marked as Rv are the parts of the land in which relics of original vegetation have been found, representing typical Guinea savanna, partly covering stabilized areas degraded by gully erosion; Areas marked as Pl are plantations, which are described in Table 2; it was estimated that in the years from 2000 to 2008 approximately 20,000 trees were planted over a total area of approximately 159 ha, which gives the mean figure of 2500 trees per year
−0.5992 to 0.5508, respectively, and the vegetated area was classified with values above 0.0; The presented case of Ahmadu Bello University represents on a microscale the chain for the MTVI2 2000 and 2020 the ranges of values from –0.2643 to 0.4326 and from −0.2665 of environmental problems and interdependencies between nature and humans, to 0.3570 were obtained, and the vegetation cover was marked with values above 0.016
The experience gained based on the example from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria in the years 2000–2020, as presented in this paper, may provide inspiration and guidance for the regeneration of parts of woodland in the savanna zone of Nigeria
Summary
In 2008,and a survey was conducted to study the status of the vegetation cover and the condition of athe natural environment instudy the immediate farther vicinity of Kubanni. GIS method satellite withperiod a useful resolution lake. It quantified, was assumed thethe growth of tree and cover in the images considered werebeused. GIS method andwere satellite images with awhich usefulwould resolution the location of the objects, condition of the environment spatialbefore, development of the were used. No large-scale maps were and available which would show the location of objects, the condition of the environment and spatial development of the area. The first step in this study was to create such a map on the basis of a high-resolution satellite image. Data and data processing products were used to interpret and specify certain conclusions and recommendations
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