DEFORESTATION AND CONSEQUENCIES A CASE STUDY OF MOKWA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA NIGER STATE OF NIGERIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT The forest or woodland ecosystem wilen lert undistull)cll. Ill~.\illl,liil:~ ' i stable land with good porosity and a tight nutrient cycle. The populatioll prC\~~;'I.JH.: has subjected the land to relatively perrnanent impairment or destruction 1r'::l11 ,] variety or causes amongst which is "deforestation the subject of tlli::, :~ll!d~,f through IQrge farrning for arable land, timber for different types of infrm::tn Ictllr0.S, fuel wood for energy drive in houses e.g cooking, smoking of rneat and fisil, provision of charcoal for making matchets, Iloes and other farming implements and wide industrial diversification has resulted in ecological imbalance that affected solid stability, nutrient cycling, hydrological cycle, microclimatic clliel biotic environments including soil floral and faunal activity in l\Ji~1eric1l1 S<:lVr' lllJ~lS and in the Local Government Area. Data used include information from forest offices, sawmills; oral interviews directly form the stakeholders. Method of collection is practical fieldwork amJ through photographs. Data collected were analyzed through past records and experience of major happenings similar to tile topic of study. Through the deforestation processes on-going in the Local Government, land degradation is mucil at hnnd . . . and also drying up of streams and rivers are witnessed in many rivers e.g Zilibi, Tekpa, Nyanko, Ikko. Flood is also witnessed every year as a result of removal of trees and farming along water shaded areas of these rivers as ::-I resull of siltation. V