EFFECTS OF ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES ON VEGETATION CHANGES IN GUINEA SAVANNA REGION OF NIGERIA- A CASE OF EDU LOCAL GOVERNMENT, KWARA STATE

This work examined effects of anthropogenic activities on vegetation changes in Guinea savanna region of Edu Local Government Kwara State, Nigeria. There are various economic activities going on in the region and these activities have significantly contributed to the changes in the vegetation cover of the study area. Erdas Imagine 2015 was for computerizing NDVI, ArcMap version10.5 for images extraction; mapping of study area and NDVI mapping; ArcMap 10.5 for the conversion of the images (vector) to raster and excel for the calculation percentages and graphs. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were used as method for detecting any form of changes in Edu local government open forest. NDVI result shows (-0.26) which indicates a decrease in vegetation cover in the study area. The vegetation index Map of 1990, 2005-2018 also shows that there is further decrease in vegetation (0.58) (0.48) in 1990 and 2005 respectively. NDVI values of (0.35) indicated a decline in the vegetation of 2005 -2018(0.48) (0.35) respectively. The patches of thick green colour of 1990, 2005 and 2018 images show continual decreased of forest from 1990-2018.The shrubs continue to expand from 1990-2018.This means that, there is sharp decline in the Forests cover between the intervals of another fifteen years. Tree planting campaign should be undertaken through print and electronic media, public and private owned radio stations. The campaign should educate recent flood events that ravaged the region.