Land use change around gazetted forest reserves in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Protected forest reserves are essential in maintaining ecological balance, preserving biodiversity, mitigating climate change, and providing essential ecosystem services. However, these vital ecosystems are under threat from unsustainable land use practices inside and outside protected areas. Understanding the importance of protected forest reserves in society and land use management is crucial. This study evaluates land use change around three gazetted forest reserves in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The study's specific objectives are to: assess the extent of how, when and where the gazetted forest has changed since 1966; evaluate the perceived drivers that triggered land cover changes in the gazetted forest and understand community perceptions of the benefits derived from the gazetted forest; examine the existing strategies to safeguard the gazetted forests in Nasarawa State, and explore community perceptions of effective management policy to inform the future suitability sustainability of the gazetted forest reserve. A comprehensive analysis of forest cover and land use change history in the area is carried out using remote sensing data. The key drivers behind forest cover change, such as historical land use driven by human activities are explored. Through a mixed methods approach that engages with a diverse range of local stakeholders, management, ownership and conservation strategies are explored in the context of forest sustainability for forest reserve-dependent communities. The study draws on remote sensing data and participatory methods such as interviews, focus group discussions, and vegetation surveys. ArcGIS 10.8. was used to analyse the historical trends of Land use land cover change (LULCC) from 1986 to 2020, while statistical packages for social science (SPSS), NVivo, and Python 3, were used for further data analyses to generate descriptive statistics, code themes, and conduct linear cross-correlation analyses. The findings reveal that there has been a significant transformation in the land around the gazetted forest reserves, driven by sixteen interconnected social, economic, environmental, policy/institutional, and technological factors, with the expansion of agricultural activities being the primary driver. While findings generally showed forest loss, one reserve, Odu forest, showed a rapid increase in forest cover (45%) in 2020 compared to the other forests. This was found to be linked to the cultural significance the forest holds within the local community. Further findings indicate mixed understandings and awareness regarding who owns and is responsible for the forest reserves. The study highlights the ineffective implementation of forest conservation strategies to maintain the ecological balance and preserve forest resources, even within gazetted reserves. The findings underscore the importance of understanding cultural values and practices in forest management, and the need to gain local support. Incorporating community knowledge and priorities can support sustainable forest development and environmental stewardship in PAs, both within and beyond Nasarawa State.