LOSS AND GAIN OF VEGETATION COVER IN MUBI METROPOLIS AND ENVIRONS, ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA: A SPATIO-TEMPORAL APPROACH

The main objective of this study is to examine the changes in vegetation cover in the Mubi metropolis of Adamawa State, Nigeria, using Landsat satellite images taken for 1980, 1990, 2010, and 2020. Throughout the study period, alterations in the vegetation cover were monitored using a spatiotemporal approach. To get the coordinates of a few selected points for ground truthing, a global positioning system (GPS) instrument was utilized. The mapping and classification of the research region were done using ArcGIS 10.8 and ERDAS IMAGINE 2015. Deforestation, urban development, agricultural expansion, and natural catastrophes are the main causes of the region’s notable loss in vegetation cover, according to the results and analysis of the land use land cover changes (LULCC) and Enhanced Vegetation Index/Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (EVI/NDVI). More stringent land use laws, reforestation programs, increased public awareness, more robust environmental enforcement, and frequent monitoring utilizing spatiotemporal techniques to direct conservation efforts are some of the recommendations made to mitigate this trend. This study underlines how urgently these environmental issues need to be resolved in order to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services, and it offers insightful information about the dynamics of vegetation cover changes in Mubi.