Machinery Use in Agricultural Mechanization and Biodiversity Change in Selected Communities in Cross River State, Nigeria

The study accessed biodiversity loss in Cross River State, Nigeria as a result of machinery use in agricultural mechanization activities in the area. Increase in the development of sophisticated technology and increased agricultural production activities with use of agricultural machineries have led to increased degradation of flora and fauna over the years. It is viewed that depletion of bioresources is a colossal loss to the country in terms of economic returns and environmental quality as well as social systems. Cross River State was split into two zones, A & B comprising of the rain forest and derived savanna respectively. Data were derived from structured and open-ended questionnaires distributed to farmers in the study area. Data generated were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-test and multiple regression analysis. 83% and 44% of the respondents in zones A & B respectively agreed that there was loss of soil fertility in the zones. On the other hand, 91% and 80% of the respondents in zones A & B respectively asserted that wild animals are on the decline. T – tests conducted in zones A & B showed that at P<0.05 there are differences in vegetation forms in the last 15 years where the vegetation has considerably reduced. In conclusion, multiple regression results showed that the socio-economic parameters in zones A & B contributed immensely to biodiversity loss. It is further recommended that in order to save the derived savannah zone from gradually turning to a desert, annual bush burning should be discouraged