Research Project Number: UNAAB/IFSERAR/IRG 28 Title of Research Project:

1. Research Project Number: UNAAB/IFSERAR/IRG 28 Title of Research Project: Impact of Climate change on people’s livelihoods, wildlife Resources and food security in southwestern Nigeria Investigating Team: Oyatogun, M. O. O.;Shotuyo, A. L. A.;Oyedepo, J.;Soaga, J.A.

2. Objectives of Study: • the socio-cultural activities of people around protected areas and non-protected areas in south western including Edo and Delta States of Nigeria were identified and • the impact of climate change on wildlife resources and food security were assessed • the current status of fauna and flora resources of the study area were evaluated • climatic data of the area were monitored and analyzed to detect and quantify changes and predict trend • conservation strategies to ameliorate the environment were suggested,

3. review of previous environmental and climatic data. • review of past ecological research was done • Satellite remote sensing data were acquired and analyzed for the extraction of essential information that were considered relevant to the survey

4. The main socio-cultural activities identified in the area included Agriculture(farming), hunting, fishing, livestock keeping ,honey processing, logging, lumbering, fuel -wood collections, snail collection, collection of other non-timber forest products , charcoal production and collection of products for crafts such as cane, raphia palms. All these indicated sole dependence on the protected area wildlife resources .

5. Population of ungulates such as kobus kob, Qurebia ourebi, Kobus defassa are being endangered. There is severe pressure on some notable wild animal species and the unprotected areas. Elephants and primates are threatened.. Significantly higher and better herb stratum layer conditions and soil physicochemical properties were recorded for the protected areas than its adjoining free area.

6. Protected areas showed recording of higher crown condition, crown diameter, number of undergrowth stand and total height of tree species than unprotected areas The protected areas also indicated higher soil organic matter content, Ph, total nitrogen and phosphorous.

7. Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer sensors data (MODIS) provided information on • vegetation cover, • temperatures, • rainfall and by extension humidity,

8. Life forms such as African Giant snails (Archatina achatina and Archatina marginata), • Larvae of bombardia beetles (Oryctes boas), grubs (Coleoptera sp) and • larvae of butterflies and moth (Lepidoptera sp), Termites (Macroternes bellicosus and Macroternes natalensis sp), Crickets (Brachystrupes membranaceus) • Giant silk worm moths (Cirina forda);and • mammals such as Cephalopus maxwellii, C.rufilatus and Protoxerus stangeri are no longer in abundance as they were before.

9. The largest undisturbed natural forest remaining is the 4.6 km2 Strict Nature Reserve (SNR) found in western Omo. Although, the forest cover changes are probably largely due to human perturbation than natural phenomena, but conditions of the lower atmosphere as observed from satellite data revealed gross departures from what it used to be 20 years before the new millennium. Soil moisture, relative humidity and land surface temperatures (LSTs at night and in the day) have been grossly altered.

10. MODIS provided information on vegetation cover, temperatures, rainfall and by extension humidity, the use of Aster and Landsat imageries along with a few ground-checks conducted revealed a great deal of information about the trends in natural forest conditions especially in the Omo, Oluwa, percent of the original size). The largest undisturbed natural forest remaining is the 4.6 km2 Strict Nature Reserve (SNR) found in western Omo. Although, the forest cover changes are probably

11. This has affected the population of certain non timber forest products (NTFPs) and wildlife which are part of the livelihood source for the people in the area. Life forms such as African Giant snails (Archatina achatina and Archatina marginata), Larvae of bombardia beetles (Oryctes boas), grubs (Coleoptera sp) and larvae of butterflies and moth (Lepidoptera sp), Termites (Macroternes bellicosus and Macroternes natalensis sp), Crickets (Brachystrupes membranaceus) Giant silk worm moths (Cirina forda);and mammals such as Cephalopus maxwellii, C.rufilatus and Protoxerus stangeri are no longer in abundance as they were before.

12. From the inventory, the populations of wildlife species are also becoming worrisome a few herd of Elephants are left and restricted in western Omo forest . The rainfall distribution pattern and regime were also found to have been considerably altered. The precise time to begin planting in the south western Nigeria can no longer be ascertained due to irregularity in rainfall distribution pattern.

13. Table 1 :Percentage of some reserves in the south west still under natural conditions

14. Table 2. Percent undergrowth and tree density in each class by survey zone

15. Table 3. Mammal records from transect walks

16. Table 4. Large bird records from recce transects

17. Table 5: Summary of Distribution of Forest Reserves in South west Nigeria

18. Table 6: Forest Reserves According to Vegetation Types in Southwest Nigeria

19. In the second phase of the project the team will visit Key forest reserves and parks for on the spot assessment of situation. A questionnaire survey will also be conducted on the impact of climate change on the livelihood of people and the perception of the agrarian communities in general. The information gathered will be analyzed and used to build up a GIS database to serve as baseline information and for possible future update and trend predictions.