Analysis of Land Cover Dynamics in Gashaka-Gumti National Park, North-East, Nigeria

Land use change, driven by human population growth, poses significant environmental degradation and challenges in nature conservation planning. This study aimed to assess land use and land cover change patterns in Gashaka-Gumti National Park, focusing on land cover types. Landsat images from 1987, 2003, and 2021 were processed and classified into five classes: high forest, woodland, grassland, barren land, and open land. The intensity of change was determined using three increasing details of land change. The results showed an accuracy of over 85%, indicating acceptable precision. The rate of land change decreased by 2.6% between 1987 and 2003 and further decreased by 2.0% between 2003 and 2021. During the initial period, grassland and barren land expanded and decreased, while open land and grassland increased. During the initial and subsequent epochs, grassland increased across all categories except for high forest and woodland. The transformation of dense forest and woodland into grassland and other land use types indicates the potential impact of human activities, posing a significant challenge to conservation efforts. The study's findings indicate that forest and woodland ecosystems are facing significant risks due to grassland encroachment, primarily attributed to anthropogenic activities. Therefore, intensifying efforts to preserve forests and woodlands is crucial for achieving conservation goals.