EFFECT OF LIMESTONE MINING ON VEGETATION COVER IN MBAYION, GBOKO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BENUE STATE, NIGERIA
EFFECT OF LIMESTONE MINING ON VEGETATION COVER IN MBAYION, GBOKO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BENUE STATE, NIGERIA
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Date
2015-07
Authors
MKAANEM, Abigail Ngukuran
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Abstract
Mbayion district which hosts one of the cement companies in the country is seen to be undergoing changes in various land-use/land-cover types especially with the commencement of mining in the area in 1980. With subsequent increase in mining activities especially around 2004,noticeable environmental problems among others include extensive vegetal clearance/deforestati-on, conversion of lush green landscape into mine spoils as well as degradation of agricultural lands. Although, mining companies are mandated to put in place measures that could cushion the environmental effect of their activities, the sincere adherence to such policies is an issue of great concern. This study is therefore aimed at assessing the effect of limestone mining on vegetation cover in Mbayion, Gboko LGA of Benue State with specific objectives which are to: characterize the land-use /land-cover of the area, determine the extent of vegetation cover of the area, analyse the rate of vegetation change as well as to determine the extent to which mining has affected vegetation cover in the area. Using Remote Sensing/GIS functionalities, satellite images acquired for the area in 1976, 1986, 2001 and 2011 were each classified into five land-use/land-cover classes so as to determine the spatial coverage of each land-use class. Overlay analysis was also carried out to determine the extent to which mining activities has displaced vegetation cover over the study years. The results obtained from the analysis shows that vegetated land has continually reduced over the study period from 190.15 km2 in 1976 to 130.18 km2 in 2011 while waste land increased from nothing in 1976 to 1.24Km2 in 2011. It also revealed that about 0.88km2 of vegetation cover was displaced by waste land in 1986, 0.95 km2 in 2001 and 1.1km2 in 2011. This decrease in vegetated land in conjunction with an increase in wasteland denotes land degradation which is capable of creating unfavourable condition for future re-vegetation and if proactive measures are not put in place to checkmate this trend, a large portion of the study area will be gradually degraded. It is therefore recommended that Stringent and rigorous efforts of re-afforestation and land reclamation should be intensified especially around the mine area. The use of Remote Sensing and GIS techniques in order to enhance a holistic land-use/land-cover change monitoring and management especially around mine areas is also recommended.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN REMOTE SENSING AND GIS.
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY
FACULTY OF SCIENCE
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
NIGERIA
Keywords
EFFECTS,, LIMESTONE,, MINING,, VEGETATION,, COVER,, MBAYION,, GBOKO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA,, BENUE STATE,, NIGERIA.