Environment & Ecosystem Science (EES)

Identification and mapping of landslide is essential for landslide risk and hazard assessment. This paper gives information on the uses of landsat imagery for mapping landslide areas ranging in size from safe area to highly prone areas. Landslide mitigation largely depends on the understanding of the nature of the factors namely: slope, soil type, lineament, lineament density, elevation, rainfall and vegetation. These factors have direct bearing on the occurrence of landslide. Identification of these factors is of paramount importance in setting out appropriate and strategic landslides control measures. Images for this study was downloaded by using remote sensing with landsat 8 ETM and aerial photos using ArcGIS 10.7 and Surfer 8 software, while Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and Google EarthPro TM were used to produce slope, drainage, lineament and elevation. From the processed landsat 8 imagery, landslide susceptibility map was produced, and landslide was category into various class; low, medium and high. From the study, it was observed that Enugu and Anambra state ranges from high to medium in terms of landslide susceptibility, Imo state ranges from medium to low.

In Algeria, soil erosion has experienced a spectacular extension, it is therefore imperative to assess the effects of this phenomenon. The purpose of this study is to assess soil loss rate using a GIS/USLE approach at the Mellegue watershed, northeast of Algeria. Geographic Information System techniques have been adopted to process data obtained at the study watershed, of reasonable spatial mapping, for the application of the RUSLE model. The model is a multiplication of the five erosion factors, namely rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, slope and length of slope, plant cover and anti-erosion practices. Each of these factors has been expressed as a thematic map. The resulting soil loss map, with mean erosion rate of 20.40 T/ha/year, shows very low erosion (≤ 7 T/ha/year) which covers 64.60% of the total area of the basin, and very high erosion (> 60 T/ha/year) which does not exceed 4.80% of the basin area. The results indicate that Chabro and downstream Mellegue sub-watersheds face the greatest risk of soil erosion compared to Meskiana sub-basin, with contributions of 14.20 % and 12.90 % of their basin areas respectively. This is mainly due to natural factors and anthropogenic activities without appropriate conservation practices of agricultural land.

Climate variability is one of the serious environmental challenges that have received a lot of public outcry in most parts of the world due to its consequence on agricultural production and other sectors of the national economy and general wellbeing. This study, therefore, sought to examine the effects of climate variability on crops production in the Bakori Local Government Area of Kastina State, Nigeria. Rainfall, temperature and selected crops (Sorghum) data from the farmers living in Bkori and cultivate Guinea corn every year. The data were analyzed using correlation and regression analysis in SPSS and the trend the function of Microsoft Excel.). The study identified positive crop yield while comparing temperature trend sorghum temperature characteristics, the most important climatic variable that influences the yields of Sorghum in Bakori is temperature and rainfall. This has beeachieved by monitoring 100 farmers at different locations in the study area and the use of farm inputs and monitoring of crop-climate relationships to achieve improved crop yield.

Food production becomes necessary in other to feed the growing population. There is pressure on land for cultivation and climate change has affected the crop yields, production and distributions in Plateau state Nigeria. The two important parameters of climate that are temperature and rainfall have significantly shows positive correlations. Three crops; Millet, Groundnut and Guinea corn (Sorghum), have been studied by comparing their yield using temperature and rainfall the assessment. The rainfall has the highest correlation with 0.987while, the impact of temperature base on the Pearson rank correlation has 0.853. the application of the coefficient determination will provide individual crop yield base on its relationship with independent variable.

The cities of the world are facing serious problems due to environmental hazards. The Department of Agricultural Extension has been implementing a pilot project on expansion of roof gardening in the Dhaka city since 2018 to reduce the increasing temperature, air pollution and for food production. However, no study has been conducted to find out the suitable technologies for producing fresh, safe and nutritious foods in the roof garden and to investigate the role of this roof garden on environment conservation for the Dhaka city dwellers with changing climate. Therefore, a research based roof garden model was developed at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University with the financial help of NATP-2 project. The experimental results showed that roof garden reduced upper surface temperature of roof more than 9°C and lower surface temperature of roof by 1.74°C and believe to reduce the electricity consumption for cooling the room of the top floor of the building during summer season. The oxygen and carbon dioxide percent were higher and lower, respectively in the garden than the bare roof. Therefore, the results suggest that urban crop production and environmental balance can be achieved to a certain extent by increasing the intensity of roof gardening in the Dhaka city

The comparative metal uptake and phytoremediation capacity of Jatropha curcas, Jatropha gossypifolia, and Jatropha multifida in heavy metal contaminated soil from a dumpsite in Ibadan Nigeria were studied. Plants were transplanted into polythene pots containing 2kg of soil (control and dumpsite), using a 3×2 factorial laid out in complete randomized designed. Cu, Zn, Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni concentration was determined in the soil before planting and after harvesting as well as in the roots and shoots of the plant after 12 weeks using the standard method. The heavy metal levels in the control soil are within the permissible limits of WHO/FAO while only Cr and Ni in the contaminated soils are within the limit. The heavy metals concentration in the root of the plants ranged from 0.27-63.14 mg/kg (Cu), 4.82-54.18 mg/kg (Zn), 0.48-3.47 mg/kg (Cr), 1.75-72.37 mg/kg (Pb) and 0.05-3.23 mg/kg (Ni); in the shoots, the concentration ranged from 0.25-33.36 mg/kg (Cu), 5.40-12.48 mg/kg (Zn), 0.29-1.45 mg/kg (Cr), 0.58-8.26 mg/kg (Pb) and 0.05-3.23 mg/kg (Ni). Cd was not detected in the root and shoot of the three Jatropha species. Analysis of variance shows heavy metal uptake was influenced by the interaction of contamination level and Jatropha species. Bioaccumulation factor and Translocation factor ranged from 0.07-0.16 and 0.53-0.6 (Cu); <0.01-0.03 and 0.21-0.30 (Zn); 0.07-0.18 and 0.41-1.01 (Cr); 0.01-0.35 and 0.11-0.32 (Pb); <0.01-0.04 and 0.64-0.97 (Ni) respectively. More accumulation occurs in the root than shoot, therefore, Jatropha spp exhibit species variation in the uptake of heavy metals.

This study investigated the distributional patterns of species in response to salinity gradients. The vegetation was systematically sampled using a quadrat of 50 x 10 m. Vegetation variables were measured. At depths of 0 – 15 and 15 – 30 cm, sediment samples were dug and analyzed using standard methods. Fourteen species were encountered. Rhizophora mangle and Mytragyna ciliata had highest and least density values of 6664±687.16 and 3.00±0.42 st/ha. The most frequent species were Rhizophora mangle and Nypa fruticans (100 %). Rhizophora mangle and Mytragyna were tallest (12.45±1.20 m) and shortest species (3.11±0.24 m). Elaeis guineensis and Alchornea cordifolia had the largest (1.79±0.05 m2/ha) and least (0.008±0.0002 m2/ha) basal area values. Highest crown cover value was recorded by Rhizophora mangle (9.14±0.08 m2/ha) while by Alchornea cordifolia had the least value (0.04±0.001 m2/ha). Gradient analysis revealed that Ipomoea involucrata, Paspalum vaginatum, Dracaena mannii, Piptadeniastrum africanum, Elaeis guineensis, Staudtia stipitata, Alchornea cordifolia, Terminalia superba and Mytragyna ciliata belonged to ecological group 1 with ecological optima of 8.14, respectively. Acrostichum aureum (ecological optimum of 29.32), Avicennia africana (ecological optima of 19.56 and 30.12) and Phoenix reclinata (ecological optima of 8.14 and 29.32) belonged to ecological group 4 while Nypa fruticans (ecological optima of 8.14 and 29.32) and Rhizophora mangle (ecological optima of 19.56 and 30.12) belonged to ecological group 0. This study provides information on species adaptation and performance in relation to environmental stress and will form the basis for the future and effective management of this ecosystems.

Relation between elephant and man in India is ancient; no other animal had such a close association with the human. Pre mature elephant deaths by train collision, electrocution and drowning were common nowadays and painful disturbances in elephant population due to conflict have been described more from time to time in the outlying areas of all over India and in Uttarakhand apart from poisoning, gunfire, forest fire, diseases etc. This research paper communicates in detail cases of elephant conflict death, its root cause and its preventive actions.

Recent environmentalism in Cameroon and forest reserve creation has been varied in implementation and management between community and national stakeholders and policies. Good national intents for hot spot conservation saw the 1953 creation of the Bafut-Ngemba production forest reserve on the Bamenda Highlands, where today’s accelerated urbanization and development has largely engulfed. Pressure on the forest reserve resources has thwarted its spatio-temporal natural tree cover climax. The study uses a field survey and secondary data treatment methodology to probe how communities at the reserve fringe have responded to unmet natural wood demands by pushing in eucalyptus tree plantations to result in forest reserve reversal. Varied income-driven circumstances generated an overwhelming embrace of a eucalyptus culture swallowing up the natural trees. A thirty-year evaluation of the tree cover revealed a near 40% loss the reserve trees while eucalyptus laden-farmland have been gained ascendancy. This ecological colonization scramble was timid in the 1980s, then rapid in the 1990s and then exponential by 2018. There is a direct relationship between this spatial gains from the eucalyptus and population growth demand trends. The study therefore opts for a quick revisit of the initial forest reserve philosophy that is now being diluted in this eucalyptus embrace. These eucalyptus trees are ecological terrorists that should never be permitted to terrorize production forest reserves.

Soil contamination by with heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) has been a major environmental challenge for decades and escalating with industrialization development which is considered as a hindrance of socioeconomic development. Nevertheless, cost and time-effective, and sustainable in-situ remediation technologies remain facing technical and operational lacking. Magnetic nanomaterials have shown promising means of an innovative in-situ remediation strategy for the removal of PTMs contaminated soil. Magnetic adsorbent having high efficiency and capacity towards the removal of PTMs, and enormous reusability. Also, magnetic nanocomposite has improved with functionalization of groups on their large surface which increase the adsorption capability of the adsorbent. Nanotechnology development sector or enterprises as lack of field application of magnetic nanomaterials at commercial scale due to non-availability of required tools and materials. This information may support further environmental na notechnology for contaminated soil.