Analysis of the Relationship between Wildfire Occurrences and Population Trend within the Shores of Lake Chad Basin Using Geoinformation

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H K Ayuba et al 2011 .pdf (491.98 KB)

Date

2012-03-01

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Department of Geography, Nasarawa State University Keffi

Abstract

The study focuses and examines the relationship that exists between wildfire occurrence and the population trend within the shore of the Lake Chad. Geospatial analysis of fire pixel counts from MODIS images of the period 2001 – 2009 was performed to determine the relationship between the wildfire occurrences and the population trend. The interpretation of SPOT panchromatic imagery in combination with field survey provided perimeters of settlements and estimated population in the area with the highest fire density in the north basin of Lake Chad. Major findings shows that the distribution of wildfires on the floor of Lake Chad for the period 2001-2009 reflected a spatial relationship with the distribution of vegetation and a temporal relationship with the seasonality of human-ecosystem interactions. The total number of fires recorded on the Lake floor is 25,690 leading to a burnt area of 19,274 km2. The population trend however, is increasing while that of wildfire occurrences is decreasing. The increasing trend in population against a decreasing trend in wildfire occurrences is an indication of the gradual conversion of the wild habitat between the old and the new shorelines of Lake Chad through human-ecosystem interactions from wild land to human occupation and exploitation.

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Keywords

Wildfire, Population, Lake Chad, Trend, MODIS

Citation

Dami, A., Ayuba, H. K. & Bila, M. (2011). spatio-temporal distribution of wildfire occurrences within the shores of Lake Chad based on remotely sensed data. Journal of Remote Sensing & GIS (JoRSG), 2(2). Ehrlich, D., Lambin, E. & Malingreau, J. (1997). Biomass Burning and Broad-Scale Land-Cover Changes in West Africa. Remote Sensing of the Environment, 61(2), 201-209. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0034-4257(97)00002-3 Eva, H., & Lambin, E. F. (2000). Fires and land-cover change in the tropics: A remote sensing analysis at the landscape scale. Journal of Biogeography, 27, 765-776. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2699.2000.00441.x Eva, H., Brink, A. & Simonetti, D. (2006). Monitoring Land Cover Dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa : A pilot study using Earth observing satellite data from 1975 and 2000. Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. Luxembourg. pp. 12-16 Gonzalez, P. (2001). Desertification and a shift of forest species in the West African Sahel. Climate Research, 17, 217-228. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/cr017217 Kindler, J., Warshall, P., Arnould, E. J., et al. (1990). The Lake Chad Conventional Basin - A Diagnostic Study of the Environmental Degradation. UNEP and UNSO. pp7-51 Nami, B. (2002). Environmental Degradation of the Lake Chad Basin: Implications for Food Security. In: UNEP, (2004). Fortnam, M. P. & Oguntola, J. A. (eds), Lake Chad Basin, GIWA Regional assessment 43, University of Kalmar, Kalmar, Sweden. Pp30 Nicholson, S. E. (2001). Climatic and environmental change in Africa during the last two centuries. Climate Research, 17, 123-144. http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/cr017123 Parkinson, C. L., & Greenstone, R. (2000). editors. EOS Data Products Handbook Volume 2. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland. pp161-162. Thenkabail, P. S. (1999). Characterization of the alternative to slash-and-burn benchmark research area representing the Congolese rainforests of Africa using near-real-time SPOT HRV data. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 20, 839-877. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/014311699212966 UNEP. (2004). Fortnam, M. P. & Oguntola, J. A. (eds), Lake Chad Basin, GIWA Regional assessment 43, University of Kalmar, Kalmar, Sweden. pp 42-74.

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https://keffi.nsuk.edu.ng/handle/20.500.14448/4699

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