Abstract
This study examines the potentials of Remote Sensing techniques and GIS in land resources management with particular reference to detect land use and land cover changes in Jos East L.G.A, between 1995 to 2015. In this study, administrative maps, remotely sensed data (Landsat and Nigeriasat-1 satellite imageries) and GIS techniques were used in the image analysis. All these were done using Ilwis 3.3 Academic, ERDAS 9.3, IDIRISI 17.0 and ArcGIS 10.1. Digital camera was also used for ground truthing. The results were presented using classified imageries. Between the years 1995 to 2015, there was consistent change in the land use land cover of Jos east with different LULC categories. Throughout the study years, vegetation was observed to have the highest percentage of the total land coverage with 57544.28 ha (63%) in 1995, decreasing to 50322.96 ha (50%) in 2005, and 34969.95 (39%) in the year 2015. While agricultural/farm land was gradually increasing throughout the study period with 21271.05 ha (23%) in 1995, 27017.37 ha (27%) in 2005 and 25406.19 ha (28%) in 2015. Findings also showed that build-up-areas/settlement development increased consistently from 1451.97ha (2%) in 1995, 3290.49 ha (3%) in 2005 to 5817.96 (6%) in 2015. It was concluded that agriculture in the study area is increasing while large areas of vegetation is drastically reducing and being converted to farmlands and settlements. It is recommended that government should put up a reliable land management system in form of restrictions on premature conversion of agricultural land, there should be policies that control threat to the vegetation cover. Government should take cognizance of the land use and land cover at a regular interval to ascertain the changes that are taking place in the study area.
Highlights
Urbanization and environmental activities have contributed to the modification of our environment [1]
Knowledge about Land Use/Land Cover (LU/LC) has become significant to http://www.Jasrep.org/index.php/jasrep/index overcome the problem of loss of productive ecosystems, biogeochemical cycles, loss of agricultural lands, deterioration of environmental quality, biodiversity, destruction of wetlands and loss of fish and wildlife habitat
There is hardly any vegetation that has not been affected by human activities of which the Jos East Local Government Area (LGA) is not an exception
Summary
Urbanization and environmental activities have contributed to the modification of our environment [1]. There is hardly any vegetation that has not been affected by human activities of which the Jos East Local Government Area (LGA) is not an exception. Activities of man such as farming, logging, grazing, hunting, urbanization and other development activities induced by the rapidly increasing population have together reduced natural vegetation cover to patches on the surface of the earth [9, 10]. The study area was classified into five categories including: Data types, sources, and collection techniques The methodology adopted for this research is based on the use of remote sensing (satellite imagery) in a GIS environment to map, analyze and detect land use/ land cover changes.
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