Land Use/ Land Cover Dynamics and the Decline of Grazing Resources in Dauchi Grazing Reserve, Adamawa State, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/fjs-2026-1018-6083Keywords:
Land Use/Land Cover, Grazing Resources, Remote Sensing, Pastoralism, Adamawa State, NigeriaAbstract
Land use and land cover (LULC) change is a major driver of rangeland degradation, threatening grazing resources and pastoral livelihoods in the Guinea and Sudan savanna ecosystems of northeastern Nigeria. This study evaluates the impact of LULC change on grazing resources in Dauchi Grazing Reserve, Song LGA, Adamawa State, Nigeria, using multi-temporal satellite imagery covering forty years. Satellite data were processed and classified using supervised classification techniques within a Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing framework. Six LULC classes—grassland, shrubland, cropland, bare surface, built-up areas, and water body—were mapped and analysed to assess spatial and temporal transformations. Change detection analysis was employed to quantify transitions among land cover classes and assess implications for pasture availability. Results revealed a substantial decline in natural grazing resources, particularly grassland, which decreased from 32.77 km² (54.05%) in 1984 to 5.36 km² (8.84%) in 2024, representing a loss of 27.41 km². Conversely, cultivated land expanded considerably, increasing from 21.47 km² in 1984 to 46.35 km² in 2024. These changes reduced the availability and spatial continuity of natural grazing areas, potentially constraining forage availability and grazing capacity. The findings demonstrate that sustained LULC transformation has significantly altered the spatial distribution of grazing resources in Dauchi Grazing Reserve, creating challenges for sustainable livestock production and ecosystem resilience. The study recommends rangeland restoration, controlled grazing, integrated land-use planning, and protection of remaining natural vegetation to conserve grazing resources and support pastoral livelihoods.
References
African Development Bank (2010). Regional Study on Sustainable Livestock Development in the Horn of Africa (Synthesis Report). African Development Bank Group.
Alhamdu, G. E., Japheth, G., & Faive, E. T. (2020). Land Use Land Cover Analysis of Degraded Areas in Mubi-North and Gombi Local Government Areas of Adamawa State, Nigeria. International Journal of Advances in Agricultural Science and Technology, 7(11), 69–82.
Arowolo, A. O., & Deng, X. (2018). Land Use/Land Cover Change and Statistical Modelling of Cultivated Land Change Drivers in Nigeria. Regional Environmental Change, 18(1), 247–259. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-017-1186-5
Asadu, C. L. A., Ezeaku, P. I., & Nnaji, G. U. (2004). Land use and soil management situations in Nigeria: An analytical review of changes. Outlook on Agriculture, 33(1), 27–37. https://doi.org/10.5367/000000004322877755
Briske, D.D., Archer, S.R., Burchfield, E., Burnidge, W., Derner, D.J., Goshell, H., & Stackhouse-Lawson, R.K. (2023). Supplying Ecosystem Services on US Rangelands. Nat Sustain 6, 1524–1532 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-023-01194-6 (ARS)
Dishan, E. E., Yekini, N., & Isa, W. S. (2022). Land Use Change Assessment in Kwana-Uku Forest Reserve and Sameri Community Forests, Adamawa State, Nigeria. Journal of Global Ecology and Environment, 16(4), 212–222. https://doi.org/10.56557/JOGEE/2022/v16i47948
Eze, J. N., Isong, A., Ayanniyi, N. N., & Okachi, M. O. (2023). Impact of changes in land use and land cover on agricultural productivity in Northern Nigeria. BADEGGI Journal of Agricultural Research and Environment, 5(3), 125–131. https://doi.org/10.35849/BJARE202303/149. (BJARE)
Gailyson, N. J., Ray, H. H., & Ati, O. F. (2023). Assessing Pastoralists' Patronage of Gongoshi and Nyibango Grazing Reserves in Adamawa State. Trends in Agriculture Science. Doi https//doi.org/10.17311/tas.2023.146-152
Gajardo, L. J., Sumeldan, J., Sajorne, R., Madarcos, J. R., Goh, H. C., Culhane, F., Langmead, O., & Creencia, L. (2023). Cultural values of ecosystem services from coastal marine areas: Case of Taytay Bay, Palawan, Philippines. Environmental Science & Policy, 142, 12–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2023.01.004
Gebremedhn, H.H., Taugourdeau, S., Mensah, S., Chapuis-Lardy, L., Tagesson, T., Moulin, P., & Salgado, P. (2025), Grazing Affects Soil Organic Carbon Stocks Directly and Indirectly Through Herbaceous Species Diversity in Sahelian Savanna Ecosystems. Land Degrad Dev, 36. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5580
Gebreyesus, B., Eyerusalem, B., & Zeleke, A. (2024). Assessment of Community Driven Drought Risk Management Strategies in Pastoral and Agro Pastoral Districts of Bale Zone, Southeast Ethiopia. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 12 (14).11138.
He, Y., Chen, Y., Wang, J., & Li, X. (2024). Cropland Expansion offsets vegetation Greening effects driven by Climate and CO₂ Fertilization in Southeast Asia. Biogeosciences, 21, 5393–5408. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5393-2024
Macaulay, B. M. (2014). Land degradation in Northern Nigeria: The impacts and Implications of Human-related and Climatic Factors. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 8(5), 267–273. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJEST2013.1584
Macheroum, A., Sayada, N., & Chenchouni, H. (2025). Restoration of soil quality and improvement of physicochemical properties through grazing exclusion in arid and semi-arid rangelands. Catena, 249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2024.108646.
Muhammad, A. S., Abdurrahaman, S. L., Umar, A. M., Muhammad, Y., Dahiru, M., Kabir, A. U., & Alhassan, A. (2024). Assessment, contributions and management of rangelands: A review. Nigerian Journal of Animal Production, NSAP Proceedings, 1675–1678. https://doi.org/10.51791/njap.vi.7247 (Nigerian Journal of Animal Production).
Nakayama, M. (2025). Grazing Impacts on Mongolian Grasslands Assessed by an Eco-Hydrology Model. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 32, 13626–13637.
Obiahu, O. H., & Elias, E. (2020). Effect of Land Use Land Cover Changes on the Rate of Soil Erosion in the Upper Eyiohia River Catchment of Afikpo North Area, Nigeria. Environmental Challenges, 1, 100002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2020.100002
Olayungbo, A. (2021). Land Use and Land Cover Change Detection Using Remote Geospatial Techniques: A Case Study of an Urban City in Southwestern Nigeria. Zeszyty Naukowe SGGW W Warszawie - Problemy Rolnictwa Światowego, 21(2), 4–14. https://doi.org/10.22630/PRS.2021.21.2.5
Okoli, S. C. & Onoga (2022). Grazing Reserves: a Panacea to the Farmers-Herders Crisis in Nigeria. PAMJ - One Health. 2022;7(31). https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj-oh.2022.7.31.34234 (one-health.panafrican-med-journal.com).
Omwoyo, A.M., Onwonga, R.N., Wasonga, O.V., & Kinyanjui, J. M. (2024). Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Kibwezi West, Eastern Kenya. Discov. Soil 1 (21). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44378-024-00021-4
Pfeiffer, M., Hoffmann, M. P., Scheiter, S., Nelson, W., Isselstein, J., Ayisi, K., & Rötter, R. (2022). Modeling the effects of Alternative Crop–Livestock Management Scenarios on Important Ecosystem Services. Biogeosciences, 19, 3935–3958.
Rahimi, J., Haas, E., Grote, R., Kraus, D., Smerald, A., Laux, P., Goopy, J. P., and Butterbach-Bahl, K. (2021). Beyond livestock carrying capacity in the Sahelian and Sudanian zones of West Africa. Scientific Reports, 11, 22094. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01706-4
Shah, M. I., Abbas, S., Olohunlana, A. O., & Sinha, A. (2023). The impacts of land use change on biodiversity and ecosystem services: An empirical investigation from highly fragile countries. Sustainable Development, 31(3), 1384–1400. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2454
Stehman, S. V., & Foody, G. M. (2019). Key Issues in Rigorous Accuracy Assessment of Land Cover Products. Remote Sensing of Environment, 231, 111199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2019.05.018
Tamiru, T. (2025). Land Use Land Cover Change Detection Analysis using GIS and Remote Sensing Techniques: In case of Guto Wayu Woreda, Western Ethiopia. American Journal of Remote Sensing, 13(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajrs.20251301.11
Yabo, I. A., Pereira, L. F., Siqueira, R. G., & Imbaná, R. (2025). Climate change and human activities: Their roles in shaping land productivity in northern Nigeria. Land Degradation & Development, 36(1), 73–89. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5345
Zhao, X., Delgado‐Baquerizo, M., Song, Y., Cai, J., Chang, Q., Liu, J., and Wang, L. (2023). Effects of Livestock Overgrazing on the Relationships between Plant and Microbial Diversity across the Temperate Steppes in Northern China. Land Degradation & Development, 34(4), 1197-1207.
Zhi, L., Abdullahi, U., Zhang, Q., Wang, X., & Li, X. (2025). Dynamics of ecosystem services driven by land use change under natural and anthropogenic driving trajectories in the Kaduna River Basin, Nigeria. Land, 14(4), 706. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040706
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Nagarta Jamala Gailyson, Andrew Egba Ubogu, Yaro Abdu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
