Geospatial assessment of deforestation of Sokponba and Ehor forest reserves in Edo state, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed the state of Sokponba and Ehor Forest Reserves in Edo State, with Landsat images of 1987, 2002 and 2018 using ENVI and ArcGIS software. One hundred copies of Questionnaire were also administered to elicit information from respondents. The study revealed that within the period of 31 years under study, Sokponba Forest Reserve has reduced from 28,913.63 hectares in 1987 to 1,578.15 hectares in 2018 while plantation and farmland increased from 15,357.96 ha in 1987 to 43,494.21 in 2018. Ehor Reserve also reduced from 11,128.86 hectares in 1987 to 3,242.28 in 2018. In the same vein, plantation and farmland increased from 1,424.97 hectares in 1987 to 9,323.28 hectares in 2018. The deliberate government policies of allocating compartment to timber contractors for logging and granting permit to farm in the Forest Reserves were identified as the major drivers responsible for the depletion of the Sokponba and Ehor Forest Reserves. Considering the consequential effects arising from deforestation the study recommends reforestation and taungya farming system for sustainable environment.

Keywords: Forest reserve; Depletion; Remote sensing; land use changes, communities, farming