Land Use and Land Cover Changes of Quarry Locations within the Greater Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the spatial distribution of quarry locations and the associated land use and land cover (LULC) changes within the Greater Jos area of Plateau State, Nigeria. The study was motivated by the rapid expansion of quarry since the 1990s, driven by the region's abundant Precambrian granitic deposits, which has altered land use patterns in ways that remain inadequately documented. The study sought to identify and map quarry locations, and to analyse changes in LULC patterns and vegetation cover over a thirty-year period (1994-2024). An integrated geospatial approach involving GPS field survey, Landsat image classification, and NDVI difference analysis was adopted. The findings revealed that quarry sites are spatially clustered around geologically favourable areas with granitic outcrops, particularly along the Jenta-Lamingo and Vom-Shen axes. The LULC analysis showed substantial landscape transformation over the study period, marked by a fourfold expansion of built-up areas (306.29%), a 35.25% net increase in bare land, a 23.52% net decline in farmland, and a 26% reduction in maximum vegetation vigour Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). These changes were most pronounced in the immediate vicinity of active quarry locations, providing quantitative evidence that quarry, in combination with urban growth, is a major driver of land use and land cover change in the Greater Jos area. The study recommends the institutionalisation of GIS and remote sensing technologies for continuous LULC monitoring around quarry sites, stricter land-use regulation to protect farmland and vegetation from uncontrolled quarry expansion, and mandatory rehabilitation of bare and degraded surfaces created by quarry operations.