MAPPING SOIL DEGRADATION IN MUBI/NORTH AND GOMBI LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AREA IN ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Soil erosion is an ecological issue of great concern in the Northern part of Adamawa State. The research study adopts a combination of Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing as a tool to study and map soil degradation in Mubi/North and Gombi local government areas of Adamawa State. For this research study, several datasets that represent climate, soil and anthropogenic factors were employed in mapping and analyzing soil degradation in the study area. Mapping of soil degradation for 1986 and 2016 and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index for 1986 and 2016 was carried out. The results of the soil degradation maps of 1986 and 2016 and the NDVI of 1986 and 2016 shows the level of soil degradation and the vegetation depletion that occurred in the last twenty years (1986-2016). The research study demonstrates the integration of GIS with Remote Sensing as a tool for effective and efficient mapping of soil degradation.