Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Land Use/Land Cover Change and Their Impacts on Ecosystem Fragmentation and Habitat Quality in Kaduna Millennium City, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47514/kjg.2026.08.01.002Abstract
Land use and land cover (LULC) changes are recognized as significant drivers of ecosystem transformation, often resulting in profound modifications of ecosystem services. Kaduna Millennium City, like other rapidly urbanizing regions, is experiencing dynamic shifts in land utilization that threaten environmental sustainability and community well-being. This research proposes to detect, analyze, and assess the implications of LULC changes on ecosystem services using geospatial and field survey techniques. The study used multitemporal Landsat images from 2004 to 2024. The images were classified using the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm in ArcGIS Pro 2.5. Ecosystem fragmentation was carried out using Fragstats 4.3, while Habitat Quality was assessed using the InVEST habitat quality model. The results revealed notable urban expansion, with built-up areas, bare lands, and water bodies increasing by 14.73 km², 9.99 km², and 0.02 km², respectively, while grassland and vegetation declined by 18.95 km² and 5.79 km². Fragmentation analysis showed increased patch and edge densities alongside decreases in contagion, aggregation, and Shannon diversity indices, indicating heightened ecosystem fragmentation. Habitat quality assessments between 2004 and 2024 revealed substantial degradation: areas with poor habitat quality expanded by 24.64 km², while those with excellent habitat quality shrank by 24.82 km². The study highlights the ecological consequences of rapid urbanization and provides insights for sustainable urban and environmental planning. The study concludes that the structural shift disrupts ecological equilibrium, potentially harming biodiversity and the supply of key ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, air purification, and water management.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Madinatu Ahmad, Abubakar Aliyu, Asmau Mukhtar Ahmed (Author)
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