REMOTE SENSING FOR URBAN TREE CANOPY CHANGE DETECTION WITH LANDSAT SATELLITE DATA IN NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY AWKA – NIGERIA

REMOTE SENSING FOR URBAN TREE CANOPY CHANGE DETECTION WITH LANDSAT SATELLITE DATA IN NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY, AWKA – NIGERIA. Urban tree canopy within a university boundary is a measure of the university's tree cover as a percentage of its total land area. The overall objective of the present study is to conduct a spatio-temporal change analysis of urban tree canopy in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka-Nigeria. Landsat data of years 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2019 were analysed using Maximum Likelihood Classifier and Confusion Matrix Spatial Analyst in ArcGIS 10.7.1 software. In terms of tree cover loss, there is a steady rate of decrease from -31.59 ha between 1991 and 2001; -82.32 ha (2001/2011) and -64.53 ha (2011/2019). Whereas, at an initial land area of 9.40 ha in 1991, physical infrastructural development is progressively increased with 16.92 ha between 1991 and 2001; 43.79 ha 2001/2011 and 12.37 ha between 2011 and 2019. The dominant drivers of tree cover change in the study area related to the expansion of physical infrastructures and sprawling agriculture as a result of encroachers into the study area. In conclusion, tropical forests within university campuses face many threats, such as those posed by unregulated physical infrastructural development and a lack of investment and management of forest relics. As a recommendation, Nigerian universities should invest and conserve their existing forested landscapes towards promoting land resources in line with Sustainable Development Goals number 15 (SDG-15) strategies.