Multivariate statistical techniques were employed to study soil-vegetation interrelationships in a secondary forest of South-Southern Nigeria. The grid system of vegetation sampling was used to randomly collect vegetation and soil data from fifteen quadrats of 10m x 10m. The result of principal components analysis identified seven basic sets of soil-vegetation variables that enhanced the interrelationships. Canonical correlation result indicated a positive association between organic matter and tree size, while the linear association between organic matter and tree density revealed an inverse relationship. The result of redundancy coefficient indicated that 18 percent of the variance in vegetation characteristics was accounted for by the variability in soil properties whereas, 81 percent of the variance in soil properties was accounted for by the variability in vegetation characteristics. The regression analyses on the other hand indicated that exchangeable sodium positively influenced tree species composition and richness; and that tree size as well as tree density exerted substantial influence on the contents of organic matter and total nitrogen of the soil. However, drawing inference from results of canonical correlation analysis and those of multiple regression analysis, it was concluded that soil and vegetation components of the secondary forest vegetation were mutually dependent and therefore exerted joint influences on each another.

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Climate change is set to be particularly disruptive in poor agricultural communities. This study examines the effects of, and farmer’s perceptions of, climate change on farming practices for cassava and maize in Lagos, Nigeria. Analysis of weather data from 1998 to 2018 (the most recent available) reveals little impact on cassava yield but a significant impact on maize yield. Furthermore, survey results indicate that farmers in this area are currently implementing techniques to adapt to changes in climate based on the type of crop grown. Agriculture in Lagos, Nigeria, is largely rain-fed and climate change negatively impacts crop productivity by decreasing crop yield and soil fertility, limiting the availability of soil water, increasing soil erosion, and contributing to the spread of pests. A decline in crop production due to climate change may be further exasperated by a lack of access to farming technology that reduces over-reliance on the rain-fed farming system and subsistence agriculture. This study indicates that there is a need for initiatives to motivate young and older farmers through access to credits, irrigation facilities, and innovative climate change adaptive strategies.