Geographical Distribution of Kumadugu-Yobe River Basin Wetlands

Understanding the availability and distribution of wetlands is key to conservation, exploitation and better management of wetlands resources. The wetlands of Kumadugu-Yobe river basin are widely spread within the sedimentary formation beyond the famous Hadejia Nguru wetlands. This study identified and map out the spatial distribution of KYRB wetlands using field observation information, the basin base map, the topographical map and high resolution Google image and Advance very High Resolution spectroradiometer (AVHRS) NDVI (Normalized Vegetation Differncial Index) data of 2018, in mapping the wetlands spatial distribution pattern. The findings of the study classified the basin wetlands in to flood plain along the river banks, surface depressions ponds and Oasis. The basin wetlands are spread all over the sedimentary geological formation of the basin. The wetlands of the mid and downstream parts of KYRB are largely spread along river Yobe, river Kumadugu-Gana, small tributaries (Alaraba, Damaturu, Budum-Gana among others), famous Hadejia-Nguru wetlands, Oases at the northern parts of the river Yobe and isolated pockets of ponds. The study recommended for effective geo data base for the wetlands.

Pteris tripartita (giant brake).

Pteris tripartita is a terrestrial fern native to the tropics of the Old Word, introduced to the New World as an ornamental, with records of its being sold in nurseries in Florida (USA) in the 19th century. It is naturalized at scattered localities from Florida to northern South America, including the Caribbean. It is reported as invasive in Cuba and the south of Florida, USA. Its invasiveness in Cuba is due to its high reproductive capacity and its spread into secondary vegetation and cultivated lands in the eastern part of the country. In southern Florida, it is considered as a moderately invasive species, recorded as escaping cultivation in 1928. It is invasive in floodplain wetlands, basin wetlands and mesic uplands, displacing native species. It is not reported as invasive in its native range. It is regarded as a critically endangered species in India.

Impact assessment of Komadugu-Yobe Basin Wetlands Development Initiative Project on farmers livelihood in Jigawa State, Nigeria

Umar B, Akpoko JG, Musa MW. 2018. Impact assessment of Komadugu-Yobe Basin Wetlands Development Initiative Project on farmers livelihood in Jigawa State, Nigeria. Bonorowo Wetlands 2: 1-8. This study assessed the impact of the Komadugu-Yobe Wetlands Development Initiative project on income, agricultural production, and standard of living of the people. Primary data were obtained by the use of a structured questionnaire that was administered to 456 respondents comprising the project participants and non-participants. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and Chow test were used to analyze the data collected. The findings on the socio-economic variables revealed that the mean age of the participants was 36 years and participants were younger in terms of age distribution, the participants were relatively more educated than the nonparticipants, the participants were also organized in to viable associations under the project, and the average years of farming experience of participants was 15 years while the nonparticipants had about 14 years. It was also found that the majority (85.5) of the participants have not benefitted from credit facilities. The logistic regression analysis shows that the socio-economic characteristics such as age (0.022**), level of education (0.000*), farm size (0.018*), Household size (0.224*), membership of cooperatives (0.022*), and access to credit (0.023**) were the most essential variables that predicted farmer‘s participation in the project. The results of the Chow test show that the F-calculated values on income, crop output, and living standard were higher than the F-tabulated values. It has been concluded that the Komadugu-Yobe Basin Wetlands Development Initiative project had a positive impact on the participants of the project. It is recommended that the project should register more participants as the activities of the project had impacted positively on the lives of the participants, to provide more employment opportunities for the youth in the area. Access to loan happened to be a factor that militates against the enhancement of crop production in the study area. It is recommended that farmers in the study area be linked with financial institutions or government agencies by the project to access loan to boost crop production in the area. Extension activities which play a significant role in extending information to farmers should be revived by the Government as the ratio of an extension agent to farmers is very low, when extension problems are solved, crop production in the area would be enhanced.

Mediterranean Basin Wetlands as a Vertebral Axis of the Territory

Within the framework of the new environmental history, this article focuses on the interaction between historical human societies and a given natural environment. Specifically, we study the spatial relationships between wetlands, Roman roads, and contemporary livestock trails, with the aim of verifying the role of wetlands as a support of territory planning since antiquity to the present. The documentation used includes geographical and ecological manuscripts together with ancient sources (texts, archaeology). Our results demonstrate an overlapping that remarks the importance of wetlands in the study area’s territorial ordering during various historical moments. This result also opens the possibility of applying this reality to others parts of the Mediterranean region with the same climatological conditions and a similar history. The clear heritage value of the wetlands are compelling enough to take the necessary protection measures for their conservation in the face of the growing threat of their deterioration and disappearance.