Browsing by Author "Quaye-Ballard, Jonathan Arthur"
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- ItemDeforestation in forest-savannah transition zone of Ghana: Boabeng-Fiema monkey sanctuary(Global Ecology and Conservation, 2020-12-23) Amankwah, Afua Amponsah; Quaye-Ballard, Jonathan Arthur; Koomson, Bennetta; Amankwah, Richard Kwasi; Awotwi, Alfred; Kankam, Bright O.; Opuni-Frimpong, Nana Yeboaa; Baah, Douglas Siaw; Adu-Bredu, StephenForests provide many resources, ecosystem services and absorb carbon dioxide, which helps in climate regulation. In spite of the enormous benefits of forests, the issue of deforestation is still ongoing. There has been a continuous decline in forests globally and the forest area of Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (BFMS) in Ghana is facing a similar threat. The aim of the study is to determine the different forest cover types and changes in the forest of BFMS. Satellite images for the years 1992, 1998, 2004, 2010, 2016 and 2018 were downloaded. Unsupervised and supervised classification were performed to determine the different forest cover types and remote sensing software was used to detect the changes in the forest cover. The forest cover was classified into six classes; closed forest, open forest, savannah woodland, savannah, farmlands and built-up area. Available data suggests that between 1992 and 2018, closed forest decreased by 242.19ha, open forest increased by 122.85 ha, savannah woodland increased by 7.47ha, savannah increased by 6.48 ha, farmland increased by 39.39ha and built-up area increased by 65.7ha. The changes in closed forest, open forest, farmland and built-up were all significant. Decreasing forest cover of BFMS is a threat to sustainable ecotourism since the forest serves as a habitat and food source to the monkeys. This research serves as guide to other researches aiming at determining forest cover changes in forest-savannah transition zones. In addition, the results have produced an inventory of the forest, which will help forest resource managers sustainably manage the forest.
- ItemGroundwater quality and potential analysis using geospatial techniques: The case of Ashanti Region in Ghana(Heliyon, 2024-03-19) Marfo, J.N.; Quaye-Ballard, Jonathan Arthur; Kwakye, Stephen Oppong; Obeng, Kwame; Arko-Adjei, Anthony; Quaye-Ballard, Naa Lamkai; Quao, Reginald Nii AkotoaThe ecosystem and economy’s reliance on clean water is influenced by various factors such as geology, topography, soil types, activities, and the presence of plants and animals. The Ghana Water Company is encountering difficulties in delivering water to consumers in the Ashanti Region due to the shortage of surface water resources, leading to water rationing in the area. Furthermore, poor waste disposal practices, illegal mining, use of fertilizers, and industrial activities have resulted in surface and groundwater source damage. Therefore, there is a need to implement a reliable, simple, and timely method to assess groundwater quality. This study aims to employ GIS and RS techniques to evaluate groundwater quality and potential in the Ashanti Region, Ghana. The Water Quality Index (WQI) was estimated using pH, Total Dissolve Solid (TDS), Chloride, Total Hardness (TH), Nitrate, Temperature, Turbidity, Iron, and Electrical Conductivity (EC). The study then used the WQI distribution to conduct a groundwater potential analysis to identify suitable areas for borehole placement. Digital thematic layers and maps were developed to expose the spatial distribution of water quality parameters, enabling the identification of groundwater pollution control and remedial measures. The study estimated the region’s groundwater potential using an integrated GIS and Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) technique, grouping under excellent, good, fair, and poor potential. The WQI in the Ashanti Region ranged from 5.208 to 134.232, with 32.252% of the study area having an excellent WQI and 60.168% of the study area having a good WQI. Poor water quality covered 7.550% of the study area. The results showed that the GIS-based AHP approach accurately mapped the spatial distribution of WQI and Groundwater Potential Zones (GWPZ). This information is helpful to planners in water resource management in groundwater exploration and future planning. Policymakers and stakeholders must ensure that groundwater sources are protected from pollution.
- ItemLand use and land cover changes implications on biodiversity in the Owabi catchment of Atwima Nwabiagya North District, Ghana(Heliyon, 2023-04-12) Baidoo, Richard; Arko-Adjei, Anthony; Poku-Boansi, Michael; Quaye-Ballard, Jonathan Arthur; Somuah, Dorcas PeggyThis paper examined land use and land cover (LULC) change and implications to biodiversity in the Owabi catchment of Atwima Nwabiagya North District in Ghana from 1991 to 2021 using remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS), with participatory methods such as interviews and questionnaires with a sample size of 200 participants. The use of supervised classification with maximum likelihood algorithm in QGIS was employed to generate LULC maps of 1991, 2001, 2011, and 2021. Molusce Plugin in QGIS was applied to predict probabilities of LULC changes in 10 years (2021–2031). The results showed that high-density forest has disappeared from 1991 to 2021 while built-up has increased and remained the most dominant LULC from 2011 to 2021. There is a continual decline in the number of plant and animal species in and around the Owabi catchment. This can be attributed to the decline of high-density forests and increased built-up in the study area through human actions. The study identified the influence of human activities as the key forces of LULC change to biodiversity loss. This problem stemmed from the taste for housing and trading activities in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area which has resulted in an increasing demand for settlement because of its closeness to Kumasi and its environs. The study recommends that stringent preventive measures should be developed and enforced by various stakeholders including the Forestry Commission, Ghana Water Company Limited, Environmental Protection Agency, as well as the District/Municipal Assemblies to safeguard the forest from human activities. This recommendation will help these agencies to keep abreast with changes in LULC in the various communities and factors such as changes during the planning of the communities.