Effect of land use land cover changes on the rate of soil erosion in the Upper Eyiohia river catchment of Afikpo North Area, Nigeria

Abstract

The growing demand for cultivable land, deforestation and land conversion have taken their tolls over the past several decades in the region leading to serious degradation on soil and other natural resources. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) parameters were integrated with satellite remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS) to determine the extent and rate of soil loss. The results indicate significant land conversation during1996 and 2016 with increases in cultivated land by 3400 ha, settlement by 2300 ha and bare land with 2600 ha except grazing land with 300 ha at the expense of forest land, that had declined by 8600 ha. Consistent with the land conversation from native vegetation, soil erosion rate for the entire Upper catchment was from 79 t/ha in 1996 which increased to 149 t/ha for 2016. This was further substantiated by significant (p<0.05) variation in soil loss among land use types with significant high soil loss in cultivated (38 t/ha) and bare land (28 t/ha) and the lowest under forest cover (17 t/ha). There is urgent need for the development of comprehensive and viable land management land-use necessary to improve the status and utilization of catchment resources in response to sustainable land management practices for supportive livelihood of the local people. Area with high soil erosion losses among land use types should be protected by stone bunds, cultivation and ridge making should be carried out across slope while bare lands should be covered with trees through reforestation approach.