Document Type : Review Article
Authors
1
Department of Geology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, P.M.B. 65, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria
2
Department of Physics, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
3
Department of Physical and Chemical Science, Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun, Osun State, Nigeria
4
Department of Physics, Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria & Department of Petroleum and Geological Engineering, University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, Georgetown, Guyana
10.48308/set.2026.242808.1170
Abstract
In Nigeria which contains various agro ecological zones the major causes of land degradation and loss of nutrients are surface runoff and soil erosion. The rapid population growth and urbanisation are changing the land cover and altering the hydrological process, and putting pressure on the soil resources. Watersheds need to be managed by understanding interconnections between land cover, rainfall-runoff processes, soil nutrient erosion possibilities and spatial changes. This review is based on the synthesis of evidence found in recent Nigerian case studies (mostly published between 2023 and 2025), as well as in foreign hydrologic literature. It discusses the hydrological mechanisms that govern the surface runoff and infiltration, compares the erosion modelling methods used including the Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS CN) and the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and the effects of Land Use Land Cover (LULC) change on surface runoff, soil erosion and nutrient distribution. The techniques used to measure spatial heterogeneity in the soil nutrients are remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in combination with geostatistical techniques. The paper identifies the impacts of deforestation and urban sprawl on runoff and soil fertility, covers the progress in remote sensing-based LULC mapping, and the pedometric and geostatistical methods of creating soil nutrient maps. The review concludes that land cover change particularly vegetation loss and expansion of impervious surfaces systematically increases runoff and erosion risk while accelerating nutrient redistribution and soil fertility decline. Synthesis further reveals a critical gap in the integration of hydrological modelling, remote sensing outputs and field-based nutrient mapping at multi-watershed and national scales, underscoring the need for coordinated, data-driven land management frameworks. The recommendations are made concerning sustainable land management and research directions.
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