Abstract
This paper investigates the impacts of forest cover and spatial structure changes on the forest landscape across Afi-Mbe-Okwangwo protected area of Cross River State, Nigeria and its corresponding implication on two endangered primates (Cross River Gorilla and Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzee) habitat using satellite remote sensing and modeling techniques. Using remote sensing change detection analysis, the spatial extent and annual rate of deforestation for the study area was determined as 34,620 hectares and 1.5% respectively (from 2000 to 2014). The protected areas with highest annual deforestation rates were Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary (2.6%) and Mbe Mountains (2.2%), both prominent for gorilla and chimpanzee sightings and nests. Further investigations on changes to the forest landscape structure revealed high levels of forest fragmentation across the study area for the 14-year period investigated. As a means of further understanding effects of forest landscapes changes across the study area, a 14-year forward simulation was performed using the Markov model as to determine the spatial extent of futuristic forest cover changes. The results showed that if this current trend of forest cover change continued, 28,121 hectares of forests would be lost to deforestation in 2028 (approximately 16% of the total landmass of the entire study area). Using Maxent modeling, suitable primate habitats were predicted and the total coverage determined as 30,940 hectares (54.4% situated in CRNP—Okwangwo division, 29.4% in AMWS, 14.3% in Mbe Mountains and 1.9% in ARFR). Further analysis revealed 6468 hectares of predicted primate habitat were affected by deforestation in 2014 (21% of the predicted primate habitats). These results indicate that suitable primate habitats (particularly for gorillas and chimpanzees) are under immense pressure from deforestation and forest fragmentation. This paper presents a cost effective and time saving approach for determining suitable primate habitats and understanding the effects of forest transition on primate habitat suitability.
Highlights
The negative impacts of forest loss and hunting activities across the world’s tropical forests are sources of concern, as it affects the continued existence of endangered primates [1]-[3]
The results indicated that the total coverage of predicted suitable habitat for endangered primates over the entire study area was 30,940 hectares (54.4% situated in Cross River National Park (CRNP)—Okwangwo division, 29.4% in Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary (AMWS), 14.3% in Mbe Mountains and 1.9% in Afi River Forest Reserve (ARFR))
The results show that suitable habitats for gorillas and chimpanzees are under immense pressure from deforestation and high levels of forest fragmentation
Summary
The negative impacts of forest loss and hunting activities across the world’s tropical forests are sources of concern, as it affects the continued existence of endangered primates [1]-[3]. The area is known to have suitable roosting sites for migratory birds [4] This region of great ecological importance is faced with a range of human induced threats to the existing wildlife and forest ecosystem at large. The large and growing population of Cross River State depends greatly on subsistence agriculture, which has over the years resulted in high rates of forest loss and over-exploitation of natural resources [1]. This once undisturbed stretch of tropical forests in Cross River State is faced with diverse threats of deforestation in forms of large commercial plantations of plantain, rubber, cashew and pineapples [7]-[9]. A better understanding of environmental factors such as forest cover distribution, pattern of forest landscape dynamics and modeling of species distribution would prove vital in enhancing conservation and proper management of forest protected areas across Africa
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