This study examined the existing forest
management strategies and land cover change in one
of nature forest reserves in Nigeria. It analysed freely
available Landsat imageries for the assessment of land
cover change between 1986 and 2014, and conducted
key informant interviews on forest guards and an
administrator in relevant ministry, for information on
management practiced. Results showed that about
35.2% of the vegetal cover were lost within the study
period; 80% of the interviewed forest guards attributed
such loss to unrestricted access of the surrounding
communities, 60% to logging or chain saw operation,
and 40% to farming practices and bush burning in the
reserve. Management practiced is that, which ensures
passive input with active harvesting, but cannot be
fixed within a specific sustainable strategy of the Food
and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.
The study concluded that given the management
strategy practiced in the forest reserve, which also
allows defaulters of forest reserve regulations to
escape punishment because they can ‘settle’, indicate
that corruption, rather than poverty, is the major drive
of deforestation in the area.