Integrated Gis-remote sensing processing applied to vegetation survey in Ibadan: Iimplication for sound environmental policy

Abstract

This study examines the special advantage offered by GIS-Remote Sensing processing to survey of vegetation, a renewable natural resource in Ibadan, South-Western, Nigeria with a view to eliciting support for sound environmental policy in the future. A remotely sensed digital image of SPOT by its linear enhancement on a large memory, high speed, and digital electronic computer revealed from false colour composite that vegetation is expressed as red. Further processing of SPOT digital image for arithmetic banding of Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI) made the areas covered by all forms of vegetation to stand out clearly. Of interest is the GIS processing of digitized topographic map of Ibadan which reveals how its principal land forms, drainage pattern as well as geology influenced vegetation distribution in the study area. It is recommended that a sound environmental policy should be promoted to curtail further devegetation of Ibadan metropolis. The study should also be followed up with detailed field mapping as this is important in confirming the ingenuity of information to be provided by detailed remote sensing processing and making use of modern image analyses softwares.

Keywords: remote sensing, vegetation, land forms, environmental policy

Journal of Environmental Extension Vol 5 2005: 39-44