Deforestation and forest degradation threaten biodiversity, climate regulation, and local livelihoods, particularly in tropical regions like Nigeria. This study evaluates the extent of deforestation and forest degradation in the Ago Owu Forest Reserve, Osun State, Nigeria, over 40 years (1984–2024) using remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. This study aims to evaluate the trends of deforestation in Ago Owu Forest Reserve to mitigate the adverse effects of deforestation, to analyze Landsat satellite imagery from the years 1984, 2004, and 2024, using Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) classification and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The results reveal a dramatic decline in forest cover, from 81.92% in 1984 to 11.26% in 2024. Simultaneously, built-up areas expanded from a negligible 0.056% in 1984 to 37.18% in 2024, highlighting significant human encroachment and urbanization into the forest reserve. The NDVI analysis reveals the degeneration of the forest NDVI from 0.7 to 0.2, indicating a reduction in forest density due to deforestation, urbanization, and logging activities. The findings provide critical insights into the need for effective and efficient deforestation policies to balance ecological preservation.
Elufisan et al. (2026) studied this question.