Assessing the spatial and temporal distribution of fire regime in the derived savannah zone of Nigeria using space-based approach

ABSTRACT

The derived savannah zone of Nigeria, a transitional zone between the rainforest and the guinea savannah, has been affected by natural and anthropogenic factors which influence spatial heterogeneity and temporal trends in fires. This study examined the spatial and temporal distributions of active fires from years 2000 to 2015. Land use data from the years 2000 to 2015 were obtained from the European space agency while fire dynamics data of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer (MODIS) were downloaded and processed at a 70% confidence level. Monthly and annual fire counts were studied within several regions of major fire activities and vegetation type. Change detection of land use was analyzed using Idrisi terrset and ArcGIS 10.5. The result showed that forest areas in the derived savannah have reduced by (490 km²) with most of the forested areas transiting to settlement (872 km²) and grassland (39 km²). The fire frequency was above 10,110 for the 15 years of observation and the monthly distribution showed that the fire regime peaked particularly in December with the highest frequency of 7,061. There were no records of fire event in July which was as a result of high amount of rainfall during the month. This study can provide insights into post-disturbance land management practices and vegetation dynamics.

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WSN 183 (2023) 133-157

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