Assessment of land cover changes and endangered tree species in Rurum ward of Rano Local Government Area of Kano State

Abstract

The study assessed land cover changes and endangered tree species in Rurum Ward of Rano Local Government Area, Kano State, using Landsat imageries from 1992, 2002, 2012, and 2022. A geospatial approach, complemented by semi-structured questionnaire and key informant interviews, identified the main drivers of land cover change and endangered tree species. Two wards, Rurum Sabon Gari and Rurum Tsohon Gari, were purposively sampled, with 80 respondents randomly selected. The GIS-based analysis categorized land cover changes into Built-up Areas, Vegetation/Forest Cover, Agricultural Land, Water Body, and Bare Surface. Over 30 years (1992-2022), Forest Cover decreased by 22.82%, while Agricultural Land, Settlement, Water Body, and Bare Surface increased by 12.33%, 5.58%, 2.94%, and 1.97%, respectively. Results from the interview showed that 66.2% of respondents were aware of land cover change dynamics, confirming the geospatial findings. The primary drivers of these changes were fuel wood exploitation (48.11%) and agricultural land expansion (26%), with poverty (67.5%) and population growth/settlement expansion (16.9%) as underlying causes. Key informant interviews identified the most endangered tree species as Khaya senegalensis, Afzelia africana, Vitellaria paradoxa, Faidherbia albida, Ficus polita, Syzygium guineensis, and Vitex doniana. The study concluded that fuel wood exploitation is the main contributor (48.1%) to land cover changes, driven primarily by poverty (67.5%). It recommends restoring threatened and endangered tree species, enhancing poverty-eradication programs, and promoting renewable energy sources in rural areas to reduce reliance on wood fuel.