SURVEY OF RESOURCES WITHIN THE ECOLOGICAL REGIONS OF

NIGERIA

Nigeria is located on the West coast of Africa between latitudes 3°15’ to 13°30’ N and
longitudes 2°59’ to 15°00’. It is bordered by Benin in the West, Niger in the North,
Chad and Cameroon in the East, and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the
South. Nigeria is the 14th largest country in Africa with a land area of 923,768km 2 of
which 910768 km2 is land and 13,000 km2 is water; and the most populated country
in Africa, with an estimated population of over 182 million by late 2016. Nigeria is
located mainly within the lowland humid tropics, characterized by high temperatures
of up to 32oC in the coastal south and up to 41oC in the North. The climate varies
from very wet typical in coastal areas with annual rainfall greater than 3500mm to dry
in the Sahel region in the North West and North-Eastern parts, with annual rainfall
below 600mm.

Nigeria has two main relief regions:

• the high plateaux ranging between 300m and more than 900m above sea
level. It includes the North Central Plateau, the Eastern and North Eastern
Highlands and the Western Uplands

• the lowlands, which are generally less than 300m. It comprises the Sokoto
Plains, the Niger-Benue Trough, the Chad Basin, the interior coastal lowlands
of Western Nigeria, the lowlands and scarplands of South Eastern Nigeria and
coastlands.

Most of the country’s rivers take their sources from four main hydrological basins:

• The North Central Plateau (Sokoto-Rima, Hadejia, Gongola, and Kaduna

rivers etc.),

• The Western Uplands (Moshi, Awun, Ogun, Osun, Osse rivers etc.),

• The Eastern Highlands (Katsina-Ala, Donga rivers, etc.) and

• The Uri Plateau (Anambra, Imo and Cross rivers etc.).

The soils in Nigeria can broadly be categorized into four groups:

 • sandy soils in the Northern zone. It lies in the very Northern parts of the
country, particularly in the Sudan and Sahel zones. In some parts, (e.g. Kano,
Kaduna and Sokoto States), they are mainly fine sandy loam soils, friable,
and relatively easy to cultivate and good for agricultural crops, particularly
groundnuts. In some parts of the extreme Northern Guinea savanna and
Southern Sudan savanna, (e.g. in Southern Kaduna State), there is a mixture
of soils disintegrated from the local granite, and loess soils brought down by
winds from the North. The fertile loam soils found in the Zaria region are
particularly good for agricultural crops like cotton.;

• lateritic soils in the interior zone. The interior zones of lateritic soils are
generally found in the guinea savanna, deeply corroded and grey or reddish in
colour. The Guinea savanna also has rich lava soils (e. g. in Biu plateau) that
are productive and offer good prospects for agricultural expansion.;

• forest soils in the Southern belt. The Southern belt of forest soils coincide
roughly with the high forest belt where the wet season is long; and where
vegetation plays the double role of supplying humus to the soil and protecting
it from erosion. The soils here are used to produce cash crops such as cocoa,
palm produce and rubber.;

• and alluvial soils. The zone of alluvial soils contains soils, which are formed by
recent water deposits, and therefore are found on the flooded plains of rivers,
or on deltas, or along the coastal flats. The zone extends from the coast
inland, and runs along the valleys of the Niger and the Benue, thus cutting
across the vegetation belts.

The ecological zones in Nigeria are based on Keay (1949), and are defined from
South to North as follows: Mangrove Swamp and Coastal Vegetation, Freshwater
Swamp Forest, Lowland Rain Forest, Derived Savanna, Guinea Savanna, Sudan
Savanna, and Sahel Savanna. A few mountainous areas are found in the Jos
Plateau, Adamawa, Taraba and Northern part of Cross River State

Mangrove forest is found along the coastal and delta areas of Nigeria where the
water is brackish. The most prominent feature of the mangrove forest are the stilt
roots of Rhizophora spp. which do not penetrate the ground but divide beneath the
water surface to form a peculiar thick felt raft. Mangroves are dominated by the
following species: Rhizophora racemosa, R. mangle, R. harrisonii, Avicennia africana
and Laguncularia racemosa. R. racemosa is the biggest of the Rhizophora spp., and
can attain heights of up to 40 meters and accounts for up to 95% of the species
content of the mangrove forest. In Cross River State, the mangroves are threatened
by the exotic Nypa Palm, Nypa fruticans, that was introduced into Calabar and Oron
between 1906 and 1912, and has spread to other Niger states such as Rivers, Delta
and Bayelsa. The palm tends to form pure stands and isolate endemic mangrove
trees. Mangrove wood provides excellent fuel, which burns even when the wood is
fresh (Udo, 1978), and because the wood is not readily attacked by termites, it is
used for building, mining props and railway sleepers.

The Freshwater swamp forest forms a wide belt inland after the mangrove and
coastal vegetation. The zone has more open canopy, which may reach 45 m in
height, densely tangled, and almost impenetrable undergrowth. It is usually flooded
during the wet season and dries out during the dry season leaving portions of dry
forest floor interspersed with permanent pools of water. Much of this vegetation type
has been converted to agricultural and urban lands, and the original swamp forest
remains mostly on alluvial sites along the major rivers. Climbing palms with hooked
spines are particularly characteristic as are clumps of large aroids such as
Cyrtospernia senegalense. Large trees such as Mitragyna ciliata, Spondianthus
preussii, Lophira alata, Anthostema aubryanum and Alstonia congensis occur with
smaller trees such as Nauclea gilletii, Berlinia spp., Grewia coriacea, and Uapaca
spp. A number of tree species in this ecological zone have stilted roots. The Raphia
palm (Raphia hookerii) and Lonchocarpus griffonianus are usually abundant in the
outer fringe vegetation which seldomly exceeds 14 m in height. Behind the fringe,
the trees of the freshwater swamp may reach 30 m in height.

Lowland Rain Forest Ecological Zone: This Lowland Rain Forest is located north
of the freshwater swamp forest and south of the Derived Savanna Ecological Zone to
the North. It is an area of dense evergreen forest of tall trees with thick undergrowth
consisting of three layers of trees: the emergent layer with trees more than 36 m
high; the middle layer between 15-30 m; while the lowest layer is generally below 15
m. The understorey is a shrub stratum composed of single-stemmed shrubs. The
forest in the Northern parts of the zone is characterised by a number of species
belonging to theSterculiaceae family, but the Ulmaceae and Moraceae families are
also common. Characteristic species of the lowland rain forest are Terminalia
superba, Ricinodendron heudelotii, Aubrevillea kerstingii and Khaya ivorensis. The
families Meliaceae and Fabaceae make up a large proportion of the tree species in
the wetter Southern areas of this zone. In still wetter areas the Sapotaceae are
prominent and the timber trees Lophira alata and Nauclea diderrichii are often
abundant. While a few areas of the rainforest remain untouched (undisturbed) with
top canopy closely interlocked, most rainforest has been disturbed/degraded through
conversion to agricultural farmlands, indiscriminate felling and wood removal, except
for parts of the Cross River State. In some areas, tropical rain forests have become
limited to forest reserves, national parks and game reserves, which are also
encroached. The legend classes "disturbed forest" and "undisturbed forest" were
also used in the delineation of this zone.

Derived Savanna Ecological Zone: The Derived Savanna constitute an east-west

band between the Lowland Rain Forest and Guinea Savanna ecological zones, and
is characterized by dense populations. The appearance and composition of Derived
savanna, apart from the vestiges of Lowland rainforest, are much the same as in the
Southern areas of Guinea Savanna. However, in some areas especially where man’s
impact on the forests has been high, there is a considerable reduction of
vegetation/plant species. The impact of man has been so intense in this area that
areas left to regrow tend to grow savanna type grasses, thus creating a "derived
savanna". Remnants of the high forest may be present in upland or rocky areas that
are not suitable for agriculture.

Guinea Savanna Ecological Zone: The Guinea savanna (or savanna

woodland/wooded savanna) is the most extensive vegetation in the middle belt of
Nigeria, and consist of a mixture of trees and grass. It receives annual rainfalls
between 1000 – 1500 mm with about 6-8 months of rainfall. It contains parkland
savanna, gallery forests and derived savanna. The typical vegetation is an open
woodland with tall grasses (1 to 3m high) in open areas and trees (up to 15m high)
usually with short boles and broad leaves. This vegetation is burnt almost annually
by fierce fires in the dry season, therefore fire resistant species predominate. The
parkland savanna is a by-product of centuries of tree devastation by man and fire,
and a continuous attempt by plants to adapt themselves to the climatic environment,
by developing long tap roots and thick barks, which enable them to survive the long
dry season and resist bush fires. Species in the Southern areas of the Guinea
Savanna zone include Lophira lanceolate, Terminalia glaucescens, Daniellia oliveri,
Hymenocardia acida, Vitex doniana, Detarium microcarpum and Afzelia africana. All
these species have thick bark capable of resisting grass fires. Species of the
Northern Guinea Savanna show close affinities with the East African "miombo"
woodlands, and include, Isoberlinia doka, ldalzielli, Monotes kerstingii and Uapaca
togoensis. Open canopy is dominated by grass, shrubs (e.g., Gardenia spp. and
Protes elliottii) and woody climbers (e.g. Opilia celtidifolia and Uvaria chamae).

Sudan Savanna Ecological Zone: The Sudan savanna belt is found to the Northern
parts of Nigeria, and stretches from the Sokoto Plains through the Northern section
of the High Plains of Nigeria to the Chad Basin. It includes areas around Sokoto,
Kaduna, Kano and Borno States of Nigeria, comprising an area over a quarter of the
country. Rainfall ranges from about 600-1000 mm and the relative humidity is
generally below 40%, except for the few rainy months when this can rise to 60% and
above. The zone experiences a dry season of about 4-6 months. The zone has the
largest population density in Northern Nigeria, produces important economic crops
such as groundnuts, cotton, millet, and maize and has the highest concentration of
cattle in the country. Sudan savanna has consequently suffered great impact from
man and livestock. The landscape has less vegetation than the Guinea savanna.
Existing vegetation consist mainly of short grasses, about 12 m high, and some
stunted tree species, such as Acacia species, the silk cotton Ceiba pentandra (silk
cotton) and the Adansonia digitata (baobab).

Jos Plateau Ecological Zone: Jos Plateau Ecological Zone is based on the
distinctness of the vegetation of the plateau (altitude about 1200 m) for two reasons.
First, the high plateau has suffered widespread degradation by man so that only
relics of Guinea woodland remain. Presently, the plateau is almost devoid of trees.
Second, the flora on the Plateau is peculiar with many species of woody and
herbaceous plants not found elsewhere in West Africa, alongside many typical
Guinea Savanna species. The endemic species peculiar to the Jos Plateau include
Terminalia brozenii, Morea zambesiaca and the orchids Disperis johnstoni and Disa
hircicornis.
Montane Region Ecological Zone: These highlands and plateaus are
characterized by grassland vegetation at the base, forest vegetation on the windward
slope and grassland vegetation on the Plateaux. The lower slopes of highlands
located in the forest belt such as Bamenda Highlands (in Cameroon) and the Obudu
Hills are covered with forest vegetation, while the upper slopes and the plateau
surfaces have grassland vegetation, which normally supports cattle population. This
region is found along the south Eastern border of Nigeria in the Cameroon
mountains. Forest vegetation extends as high as 1600 to 2400 m and ecotone with
mountain grassland. There are two main types of montane forest. From about 1000
to 1800 m altitude the forest is enveloped in mist for long periods and is referred to
as Mist Forest. The tree canopy is irregular and is composed of species such as
Polyscias ferruginea, Entandrophragma angolense, Turreanthus africanus and at
higher altitudes Schefflera hookeriana and species of Ficus and Conopharyugia. The
high humidity results in a profusion of mosses and various kinds of epiphytes. Above
the mist zone the forest is drier, more stunted, and more susceptible to fire. Typical
tree species include Syzygium standtii, Schefflera abyssinica, Schefflera mannii,
Lachnopylis mannii and Pittosporum mannii. Masses of lichens beard the branches
of the trees. At the upper limit of the forest there is a scrubby zone of Rapanca
neurophylla, Agauria saheifolia and Laisiosiphon glaucus. In the lower grasslands
most of the grasses are tussocky, have flat leaves, and reach 0.6 m in height, or
slightly more. The family Compositae is well represented in this grassland. At about
3000 m there is a marked change, the flat-leaved tussocky grasses, such as
Andropogon distachvus are replaced by grasses with more compact shorter
tussocks of narrow rolled leaves, such as Festuca abyssinica. Trees are absent from
this upper grassland, with only a few bushy plants such as Blaeria mannii, Senecio
clarenceanus and Helichrysum mannii.

Sahel Savanna Ecological Zone: The Sahel savanna, is found to the extreme
Northwest and Northeast of the country, where the annual rainfall is less than 600
mm and with dry seasons exceeding 8 months. Typically, the vegetation consists of
grasses, open thorn shrub savanna with scattered trees, 4 to 9 m in height most of
them are thorny, and extensive sparse grasses. Main tree species include Acacia
raddianna, A. Senegal, A. laeta and Commiphora africana; the shrubs are Salvadora
persica, Leptadenia pyrotechnica, and four species of Grewia; while the grasses
include Aristida stipoides, Schoenefeldia gracilis and Chloris priean. The legend
class "dominantly grasses with discontinuous shrubs and scattered trees" was the
primary class used to delineate this ecological zone. The class extensive small
holder rainfed agriculture with denuded areas" was also common in this ecological
zone.

Description of Land use /land cover classification scheme for Nigeria

The classification system adopted is based on a national land use and cover
classification scheme developed in 1995 mapping project in Nigeria (FORMECU,
1998), The classification consisted of 36 land use/land cover classes, but it was
deemed necessary to aggregate the classes into a few easily mapped classes that
can be distinguished with high confidence on satellite imagery. In consultation with
relevant stakeholders working in the land base sector in Nigeria (e.g. the National
Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), the 36 classes were
aggregated into 12 classes which were further grouped into forest and non-forest
classes.

The forest classes include,

Undisturbed Forest (UF),

Disturbed Forest (DF),

Mangroves (M),

Forested Freshwater Swamp (FWS),

and Forest Plantation (FP).

The non-forest classes include

Arable land (AL),

Grassland (G),

Savannah Woodland (SW),

Tree Crop Plantation (TCP),

Settlements (S),

Bare Surfaces (BS) and

Water Body (WB).

Undisturbed Forest (UF):

This forest type includes high forest of evergreen hydrophilic (water tolerant) plant of
high species diversity, the canopy can be of three layers with the topmost (emergent
layer) of 24-50 meters’ high which may consist of scattered, very tall trees that do
not form a continuous canopy. The middle layer (16-40 m high) is also discontinuous
but taken together with the upper layer form a continuous canopy. The lower tree
layer (10-16m high) forms a more or less continuous canopy. Below the trees are the
shrubs and herbs layers that contain young trees and seedlings with the canopy
closure of at least 70%. This could be found mainly in the southern Nigeria.

Disturbed Forest (DF):

The forest type is similar to the undisturbed forest except that it has been degraded
by cultural activities. The canopy can be two or three layers but usually the topmost
layer comprises of scattered trees and the canopy closure is between 30% and less
than 70%. This is usually referred to as secondary vegetation as it can include
abandoned farmlands and fallow lands.

Freshwater Swamp (FWS):

This land cover types comprise of all type of vegetation along the freshwater, river
banks and marshy areas. The canopy closure can range between 60 to 100 percent
depending on the nature of cultural activities taking place. They are usually
inaccessible for logging but fuel wood harvest is common and can be found in the
lower course of the big river channel. The signatures in the medium resolution
images are similar to the disturbed forest

but they are usually found in close proximity to fresh water river channels.

Mangrove Forest (M):

Mangrove forest is marine vegetation type found in close proximity to the ocean,
creeks and estuaries. They can be pure stand or with mixture of other vegetation
such as Nypa palm, Raphia and other vegetative bluff. The canopy closure is usually
between 30% and 70% depending on the nature of logging activities taking place in
the creeks.
Forest Plantation (FP):

This represents forest cover that was planted for commercial logging or
conservation purposes, which includes both public and private owned forest
plantation estate scattered across the country. The signatures of forest plantation on
the images are similar to the disturbed forest or tree crop plantation but the canopy
closure usually ranges between 60% and 70% and can contain one or more layers.
The canopy closures in matured forest plantation can be less due to logging and fuel
wood harvesting.

Arable Land (AL):

This type of land cover represents all lands for arable agriculture and are
represented by regular boundaries of cultivation which are distinct from fallow land
and secondary vegetation. This is one of the most varied land use classes in the
country. The crops often grown include millet, sorghum, and maize in the northern
parts of Nigeria, while yam, cocoyam, and cassava, intermixed with maize are the
dominant crops in the southern part of Nigeria. The land use and cover types include
intensive row crops with minor grazing, large assemblages of small plot farms. The
signature of cropland varies markedly as you progress from south to the north.

Savanna Woodland (SW):

This non forest class is mainly found in the Guinea and Sudan Savanna ecological
zones of Nigeria which includes grasslands but with scattered trees. The presence
of trees can range between 4 to 10 trees per hectare and have signatures that are
very similar to grassland and bare land depending on the period or seasons of data
capture.

Grassland (G):

This non forest class represent continuous grassland often interspersed with
patches of bare soil. It is predominant in most parts of northern Nigeria especially
where overgrazing and wood harvest have degraded savannah woodland to largely
grassland; and where erosion processes can further degrade them to bare land.

Tree Crop Plantation (TCP):

Tree crop plantations are characterized by regular boundaries similar to arable land
but usually have very tall tree crop and have two or three layers of vegetal storeys.
The tree crop plantation includes cocoa, rubber and palm plantations, mostly found
in the southern rainforest, mangrove and forested freshwater areas. The signatures
on the satellite images are similar to disturbed forest but they could be distinguished
by their regular shaped boundaries. A typical tree crop plantation can have a canopy
closure of up to 70% depending on the nature of the tree crop and the farming
system used.

Bare Surfaces (BS):

This class represents land surfaces with no plant cover. It may be covered with
aeolian deposits or sand dunes; or could be an overgrazed area or area of massive
wind or water erosion.

Settlements(S):

Settlements represent human habitation in form of villages, towns and cities which
are scattered all over the country and have signatures of very high tones. The
signatures of the roof tops of cities in the southern part of Nigeria especially the
older part of the city is relatively brownish while the tone in the northern parts are
greyish.

Water Bodies (WB):

This class represents all types of water including, streams, rivers, lake, ponds, dams
and oceans etc. The signature can vary according to the location, size and depth.