Forest dynamics

Monitoring forest dynamics is essential for understanding ecosystem health and supporting sustainable conservation efforts in tropical environments. This study assessed forest cover changes in the Okomu Forest Reserve, Edo State, Nigeria, between 2015 and 2024 using geospatial techniques, including Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis and supervised land-use/land-cover (LULC) classification. Landsat satellite imagery for 2015, 2020, and 2024 was processed to generate NDVI maps and classify LULC patterns using a maximum likelihood algorithm. Temporal NDVI statistics revealed a moderate increase in vegetation greenness from 0.346 in 2015 to 0.360 in 2020, followed by a slight decline to 0.359 in 2024, indicating fluctuating vegetation health over the study period. Anomaly results further highlighted localized decline in vegetation vigour, suggesting increasing disturbance pressure. LULC analysis showed a decline in dense vegetation from 409.28 km² (37%) in 2015 to 375.82 km² (34%) in 2024, alongside an increase in moderate vegetation from 360.36 km² (33%) to 411.04 km² (37%), reflecting secondary regrowth in disturbed areas. Settlement areas expanded from 59.34 km² to 72.02 km², underscoring growing anthropogenic influence. Bare ground and light vegetation also exhibited reductions, suggesting conversion to built-up areas or natural regeneration. Overall, findings indicate progressive forest degradation coupled with evidence of vegetation recovery in specific zones. The observed changes are primarily attributed to human activities such as agricultural expansion, settlement growth, and logging. The study emphasizes the need for strengthened protection measures, community-based conservation strategies, and continuous remote
sensing monitoring to safeguard the ecological integrity of the Okomu Forest Reserve.