Social-Ecological Archetypes of Land Degradation in the Nigerian Guinea Savannah: Insights for Sustainable Land Management

摘要: The Nigerian Guinea Savannah is the most extensive ecoregion in Nigeria, a major food production area, and contains many biodiversity protection areas. However, there limited understanding of social-ecological features its degraded lands potential insights for sustainable land management governance. To fill this gap, self-organizing map method was applied to identify archetypes both proximal underlying drivers degradation region. Using 12 freely available spatial datasets degradation—4 environmental; 3 socio-economic; 5 land-use practices, identified were intersected with Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-derived land-degradation status region, state administrative boundaries. Nine identified. Archetypes are dominated by: (1) protected areas; (2) very high-density population; (3) moderately high information/knowledge access; (4) low literacy levels moderate–high poverty levels; (5) rural remoteness; (6) remoteness from road; (7) livestock density; (8) moderate level nearly terrain; (9) rugged terrain remote road. Four characterized by population, information / knowledge access, level, as well town, associated 61.3% large-area degradation; other five archetypes, covering 38.7% responsible small-area degradation. While different combinations exist all states, states Niger (40.5%), Oyo (29.6%), Kwara (24.4%), Nassarawa (18.6%), Ekiti (17.6%), have largest shares archetypes. deal these archetypical features, policies practices that address increasing population combination reduction; create awareness about promote various forms restoration, such tree planting, necessary progressing towards neutrality Savannah.