Abstract
An attempt is made to use the ratio⋋ of precipitation to potential evapotranspiration to qualify earlier climatic classifications of Nigeria for proper ecological zonation. Results show that in the pure forest belt located south of latitude 7° N the⋋ value is greater than 0.75, while in the middle belt (7–10° N) belonging to the wooded savanna and in areas further north gradually approaching steppe-type vegetation of pure Sahel, the values of⋋ below 0.40. Modulations of⋋ values (hence the eco-zones) appear to be responses to variable precipitation, especially in drought years. It is suggested that this notwithstanding, irreversible trends in land-surface degradation are mainly due to uncontrolled human interference in relation to large-scale agriculture in areas where⋋ is less than 0.40 in the Sudan-Shael belt of Nigeria. This needs to be re-appraised, if this desertification trend is to be checked
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