ABSTRACT
The land use/land cover of urhonigbe forest reserve between 1987 and 2015 was analyzed to determine the rate and nature of the land use change over time and their possible effect on the forest ecosystem of Urhonigbe Forest. Satellite Remote Sensing and GIS techniques was applied in monitoring Urhonigbe Forest Reserve in Edo State. The land use change and its effect during the time period (1987-2015) were also determined. Onscreen digitization of the study area maps was employed to delineate the built-up, and other land uses from the various data sets for the study year. Map overlay operation was performed in order to identify and detect land use classes over the study years. The change across the study years were calculated in kilometer (Km2 ) and percentages (%). The study revealed that between 1987 and 2015 built up expanded from 54.1Km2 (2.3%) in 1987 to 208.2Km2 (8.7%) in 2002 to 281.1Km2 (11.8%) in 2015, while cultivated area expanded from 310.6Km2 (13.3%) in 1987 to 556.3 Km2 (23.3%) in 2002 to 756.5 Km2 (31.8%) in 2015. Light forest area show a decrease from 1146.1 Km2 (48.1%) in 1987 to 889.8 Km2 (37.3%) in 2002 to 617.4 Km2 (25.9%) in 2015. Built up area, cultivated area and wetland shows increment, while light forest area, thick forest area and waterbody experience deficit. The study revealed that Urhonigbe Forest Reserve is experiencing deforestation and continuous decrease in forest landcover within the period under review and this is attributed to expansion of the settlements in and around the forest reserve as well as, lumbering and farming activities. The original forest size as well as the purpose for setting up of the forest reserve is under serious threat. The research also attempt to make a prediction for the next 10 years, that by the year 2025, built up area, cultivated area and wetland would have claimed 16784km2 (70.2%) of the total land area on the other hand light forest, thick forest area and water body would have lost 716.5Km2 of the total land area. This research therefore conclude that the present innovation in remote sensing and GIS technologies make available potent instruments for detecting landuse and landcover changes.
