Agricultural Land Use And Land Degradation In Adamawa State

Abstract

This paper examines the relationships between cultivation, livestock grazing and land degradation in Adamawa State. The main objective was to identify areas with major symptoms of degradation, such as rills and gullies, and determine the main causal factor(s), whether cultivation or grazing. Thus, areas of varying intensity of cultivation and livestock grazing were delineated and detailed field investigations for evidence of degradation carried out. Three maps, population density, cultivation intensity and livestock grazing blocks were produced and examined in detail to establish the role of each in land degradation and a forth map, erosion intensity produced. The results obtained show more symptoms of degradation (78.26%) in the cultivated sites. It was therefore argued that in Adamawa State there is evidence of a reversal of the tragedy of the commons\' thesis, where farmlands, which are more privately and permanently owned than grazing lands, appeared more degraded. The implications of this two resources use policy formulation were highlighted.

Key Words: Farmlands, grazing lands, land degradation, population growth and tragedy of the commons.

Global Journal of Environmental Sciences Vol.3(1&2) 2004: 27-31