Remote Sensing Dynamics of Land Cover Changes in Abeokuta Metropolis from 1986 To 2016

Abstract

This study is required to ascertain the rate at which land cover features such as vegetation, cash crop, water bodies have been replaced by artificial structures, and also to reveal the extent of urban sprawl and industrialization in the study area. In this study, Satellite images of Abeokuta metropolis were downloaded to map various Land Cover classes. Landsat TM and ETM+ imageries having groups 4, 3, and 2, all images were geographically referenced and Landsat's OLI TIRS having 5, 4, and 3 groups were used to create false color composite images, respectively. These land cover maps for the Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South and Odeda local governments were then generated using a supervised classification method of remote sensing operations using Erdas Imagine 2014 where each pixel is assigned to one of the different categories. All paved areas, including homes, businesses, and industrial facilities, as well as roads and other forms of transportation, mixed-use communities, and bare ground, are referred to as developed regions. Results revealed that land cover has changed significantly from 1986 to 2016, using three years (1986, 2001 and 2016). The 81% vegetation cover in 1986 increased to 93% cover in 2001 while the same reduced to 82% cover in 2016. The water body that covered 14% of the three local governments in 1986 was reduced to about 1.2% cover in 2001 while it maintained almost the same cover of 1.1% in 2016. A significant increase was noticed in built-up area coverage from 4.90% cover in 1986 to 6.1% cover in 2001 and 17.2% cover in 2016.