⚠ Official Notice: www.ijisrt.com is the official website of the International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT) Journal for research paper submission and publication. Please beware of fake or duplicate websites using the IJISRT name.



Impact of Urban Growth on the Diversity and Composition of Native Terestial Lumber Trees and Large Mammals in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria


Authors : Uwen Ituen; James, Unyime Essien

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 8 - August


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/bd5j46zr

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/yuhyjx3t

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26aug352

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.


Abstract : This study investigated the ecological impact of urban growth on biodiversity within the Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, covering the period from 1986 to 2024. The research aimed to analyze the patterns and rates of land use/land cover (LULC) change, with the loss of native lumber trees and large mammals. The study area was stratified into three distinct zones based on observed urban gradients. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing were used to analyze satellite imagery from 1986, 2005, and 2024. 549 structured questionnaires captured socio-economic perspectives and data on large mammals, whose vagility makes direct field observation difficult.

Keywords : Urban Growth, Biodiversity, Large Mammals and Lumber Trees.

References :

  1. Albalawi, B. F. A. (2025). Urbanization and habitat loss: an overview of rapidly growing cities in Saudi Arabia. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 7, Article 1636228.
  2. Danmallam, B. A., Ngila, P. M., Iniunam, I. A., Kuria, A., Tende, T., Ngugi, S., et al. (2024). Ecological consequences of urbanization in Afrotropical bird communities: present and future prospects. Frontiers in Conservation Science, 1503408.
  3. John-Nwagwu, H. O. (2026). The impact of urban expansion on natural habitats in Lokoja metropolis, Nigeria. Preprints.
  4. Simkin, R. D., Seto, K. C., McDonald, R. I., & Jetz, W. (2022). Biodiversity impacts and conservation implications of urban land expansion projected to 2050. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(12), e2117297119.
  5. Tee, S. L., Samantha, L. D., Kamarudin, N., Akbar, Z., Lechner, A. M., Ashton‐Butt, A., & Azhar, B. (2018). Urban forest fragmentation impoverishes native mammalian biodiversity in the tropics. Ecology and Evolution, 8(24), 12506–12521
  6. White, R., Turpie, J., & Letley, G. L. (2017). Greening Africa's Cities: Enhancing the relationship between urbanization, environmental assets and ecosystem services. World Bank Group. p.62
  7. Lee, K. H. and Jansson, E. (2022). A mixed-methods approach to conservation: Combining community checklists for charismatic large mammals with camera trap density estimates. Global Wildlife Dynamics, 10(3), 390–40
  8. Benson, C. L., and Okoro, T. (2020). Using rapid lumber treesl presence surveys alongside quadrat sampling to quantify species richness and biomass in reclaimed brownfields. Ecological Engineering and Restoration, 6(4), 512–525
  9. Hernandez, M. F., Chen, S. Z. and Diaz, L. (2023). Assessing amphibian decline: Blending visual encounter surveys (VES) with species checklists and mark-recapture abundance estimates. Conservation Biology Reports, 37(1), 12–28.
  10. Garcia, A. M. and Liu, P. (2021). The combined utility of large mammal presence checklists and GIS-based fragmentation indices for prioritizing urban conservation zones. Landscape and Urban Planning Review, 150, 230–245.
  11. Ahmad, Z. and Singh, R. (2024). Integrating bird species checklists with quantitative point counts to assess habitat quality in rapidly urbanizing corridors. Journal of Avian Ecology, 18(2), 88–105.
  12. Akpan, C. A. and Eze, O. I. (2023). Unplanned urbanization and its impact on ecosystem services in West Africa. African Journal of Urban Studies, 18(1), 1-17.
  13. Udo, S. T., Essien, A. M., and Umoren, U. E. (2023). Impact of urbanization on smallholder livestock management: Social and economic drivers. This study utilized household questionnaires to evaluate how urban sprawl affects animal husbandry practices and veterinary access, p. 41-44
  14. McKinney, M. L. (2002). Urbanization, biodiversity, and conservation. BioScience, 52(10), 883–890
  15. Okon, E. M. and Udom, J. T. (2025). Citizen science monitoring of amphibian species richness using audio surveys: Validating reports via community questionnaires. Ecological Indicators, 50(1), 10–25.
  16. Chakraborty, A., and Gupta, S. (2022). Local ecological knowledge and participatory monitoring of large mammal occupancy in the Eastern Ghats, India. Journal of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, 15(3), 345–362
  17. Ceballos, L., and Richardson, M. (2023). Human-wildlife conflict and community attitudes toward predator conservation in rural ecosystems. These researchers employed questionnaire to assess how local residents perceive the risk and value of large carnivores, p.885
  18. Zhang, Y., and Miller, R. (2025). Public attitudes toward urban wildlife corridors: A quantitative analysis. Using a large-scale questionnaire, these authors collected data on community willingness to coexist with urban-adapted animal species.p. 145-158
  19. Akinyemi, O. A., and Akangbe, T. O. (2024). The impact of peri-urbanization on biodiversity in major Nigerian cities. Journal of Sustainable Urban Development, 7(2), 55-68.
  20. Obi, C., Njoku, A., and Nwankwo, E. (2024). A national analysis of urbanization trends and their environmental implications in Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Environmental Studies, 4(2), 78-95
  21. Ekaete, J. G. and Imoh, E. E. (2023). Women's Empowerment and Sustainable Development: A Quantitative Case Study of Ibesikpo Austan Community, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Journal of Development and Sustainable Development, 14(2), 1-15.
  22. Akpan, E. B. and Akpan, M. O. (2020). Utilization of sustainable agricultural practices among crop farmers in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State. Global Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 19(1), 17–25.
  23. Udofia, D. B. (2012). Customary Land Tenure System and the Land Use Act in Nigeria: A Case Study of Ibesikpo Asutan, Akwa Ibom State. Unpublished Master's Thesis, University of Uyo.p 114
  24. Otobong, U. N., Chukwuma, J. O., and Victoria, O. N. (2020). Dynamics of land cover, land surface temperature and NDVI in Uyo capital city, p. 41

This study investigated the ecological impact of urban growth on biodiversity within the Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, covering the period from 1986 to 2024. The research aimed to analyze the patterns and rates of land use/land cover (LULC) change, with the loss of native lumber trees and large mammals. The study area was stratified into three distinct zones based on observed urban gradients. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing were used to analyze satellite imagery from 1986, 2005, and 2024. 549 structured questionnaires captured socio-economic perspectives and data on large mammals, whose vagility makes direct field observation difficult.

Keywords : Urban Growth, Biodiversity, Large Mammals and Lumber Trees.

Paper Submission Last Date
31 - August - 2026

SUBMIT YOUR PAPER CALL FOR PAPERS
Video Explanation for Published paper

Never miss an update from Papermashup

Get notified about the latest tutorials and downloads.

Subscribe by Email

Get alerts directly into your inbox after each post and stay updated.
Subscribe
OR

Subscribe by RSS

Add our RSS to your feedreader to get regular updates from us.
Subscribe