Remote Sensing Analysis of Habitat Change and Seasonal Monkey Distribution in Okomu National Park, Nigeria

Abstract

Tropical primate habitats are increasingly threatened by fragmentation and degradation, necessitating systematic monitoring to inform conservation strategies. This study examined the seasonal distribution of monkeys in Okomu National Park, Edo State, Nigeria, and assessed the long-term impacts of habitat change on their persistence. Visual and acoustic surveys were conducted across ten systematically sampled blocks during both rainy and dry seasons, while GIS-based analyses of land-cover change from 1984, 2001, and 2017 provided insights into habitat dynamics. Results demonstrated that monkey detections were consistently concentrated in core forest blocks across seasons, indicating stable spatial use irrespective of rainfall variability. Land-cover analysis revealed that high forest (57.46%) and low forest (29.23%) dominate the park, while grassland (3.78%) and degraded areas (3.60%) have expanded slightly over time, signaling localized threats to ecological integrity. Comparative synthesis with regional and global primate studies underscores that forest continuity, rather than short-term climatic variation, is the critical determinant of primate persistence. The findings highlight the urgent need for management strategies that prioritize the protection of intact forest, rehabilitation of degraded zones, and prevention of further habitat loss. By integrating spatial ecology with temporal land-use dynamics, this research provides evidence-based guidance for sustaining primate populations in Okomu National Park and contributes to broader discourse on tropical biodiversity resilience under anthropogenic and climatic pressures. Ultimately, the study reinforces the interconnectedness of forest quality and primate survival, emphasizing conservation interventions that safeguard ecological continuity.