Omono Eribo

Forests in Nigeria continue to face substantial pressure from agriculture, population growth, logging, and other forms of land conversion. Reliable information on land use and land cover dynamics is therefore essential for sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation. This study assessed land cover changes within Shasha Forest Reserve, Osun State, Nigeria, over 36 years using Landsat satellite imagery acquired in 1987, 2002, and 2023.

The rapid rate of land use and land cover (LULC) change has become a major concern, especially in tropical forests, where anthropogenic activities continue to strain natural resources. Forest degradation affects biodiversity, climate regulation, soil stability, and ecosystem balance. This study examined the spatial and temporal changes in land use and land cover within the Gilli-Gilli Forest Reserve, Edo State, Nigeria, over 37 years from 1986 to 2023.