Use Of Remote Sensing Technique In The Landuse/Landcover Evaluation Of Dry Rain Forest Of Southwestern Nigeria

ABSTRACT

The dearth of up-to-date information on the Nigerian natural resources is a major hindrance to their optimal and sustainable use for national development. Remote sensing technique enables faster and more accurate acquisition of information than that of conventional approach to natural resources survey. However, their uses are yet to be fully exploited. This study was therefore designed to produce LandUse/LandCover (LULC) maps of Southwestern Nigeria using remote sensing technique and also evaluate soils of the same area for crop production.

Multidate maps (1975, 1986 and 2002 of LULC covering 23,629.2 ha for Ife and 13,653 ha for Ilesha areas were derived from aerial photographs of 1975 using mirror stereoscopes and Landsat thematic mapper data for 1986 and 2002. The changes in the LULC were evaluated for built-up, hill/water, fallow/cropland and forest areas. Semi-detailed soil maps of the two areas were produced using aerial photographs and Systeme Probatoire Pour Observation de la Terre (SPOT) Imagery to evaluate the degree of concordance between them. The soil series identified using FAO guidelines were evaluated for potential crop suitability using Land Evaluation Computer (LEC) system. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.