DEFORESTATION AND MICRO-CLIMATE OF ILORIN AND ITS ENVIRONS

Abstract

Deforestation is the permanent destruction of forests in order to make the land available for other uses This research is aimed at assessing the level of deforestation and how it affects the micro-climate of Ilorin and its environs with a view to lookup the relationship that exists between deforestation and micro-climate of the study area. The statistical tool to be used are both descriptive (Mean, Tables & Charts) and inferential statistics (Correlation and regression Analysis). The study reveals that there is a significant relationship between deforestation and micro-climatic variables with r2= 0.997 for precipitation, 0.888 for maximum temperature, 0.201 for minimum temperature, 0.432 for solar output, -0.873 and - 0.797 for relative humidity and evapo-transpiration respectively. The study concludes that deforestation greatly influences the microclimate of the study area and further recommends enlightening the public through organisation of workshops, seminars, jingles on media as well as enacting of laws that prohibits deforestation.