The impact of urbanization on climate with focus on minimum and maximum temperatures was examined for Ilorin city. The study period spanned through 1976-2005. Correlation and regression statistics were employed to investigate relationship and trend was also identified using ten years moving average. The result of the analyses show maximum temperature having a strong positive relationship significant at 0.01 confidence level while mild positive relationship occurred between minimum temperature and population growth. Population growth account for 67.5% and 74% variability observed in minimum and maximum temperature and the trends show a general rise in all the variables.

ABSTRACT. Climate change has led to changes in the known patterns of rainfall and other climatic variables as well as increase in the frequency and magnitude of natural disasters including floods in different parts of the world; and flood is indeed a global environmental issue that had destroyed lives and property amidst other untold hardships. The study examined rainfall characteristics in Warri metropolis for the past 30 years vis-à-vis the flood situation in the metropolis; as well as the factors responsible and adaptation strategies to flood in the area. Dividing the study area into four zones after Sada (1977), the researchers collected rainfall data from the archives of Nigerian Meteorological Agency; 268 copies of questionnaire and oral interview were used. The result of the correlation analysis performed showed a negative relationship of -0.156 between rainfall and time (years), this implies that rainfall is decreasing over time. The trend line regression equation Y=243.75-0.4572x, confirms that rainfall in Warri Metropolis is decreasing at the rate of -0.45 per year. However, the p-value 0.412 is greater than 0.05, hence, the trend is not statistically significant at 95% level of confidence. It was discovered that rainfall, absence of drainage and poor urban planning practices (as factor 1) contributed 51.09% while overflowing of rivers, blocked/ poor drainage and untarred roads (as factor 2) contributed 44.10% variance to flood occurrence in the metropolis. Recommendations given included continual monitoring and study of rainfall characteristics and other climatic data and dissemination of such information for planning purposes; construction of integrated drainage system and river rechannelisation, legislation against dumping of refuse on roads and drainages; proper urban planning including implementation of the metropolitan urban drainage master plan.

This paper explores the role which climate plays on the severity of diseases and seasonal mortality rate of chicken in the guinea savanna ecological zone of Kwara State, Nigeria. Data on climate and mortality rate of chicken collected over a period of 23 years (1991-2013) were partitioned according to characteristics weather types. Correlation and simple regression methods were used to analyse the data. The results of the analyses showed that weather types of each season affect outbreak of various diseases and mortality rate differently. In the dry season weather types outbreak of Newcastle and Gumboro diseases prevailed mostly during harmattan when mortality rate of chicken exhibited a strong positive relationship of 0.711 with rainfall and a strong negative relationship of 0.604 with maximum temperature. The last two months of dry season (March-April) witnessed the reverse of the above but with Newcastle disease and heat stress plaguing chicken production. The most prevalent chicken disease of rainy season in the study area is Coccidiosis. During the first weather type of wet season (two months before August break) mortality rate of chicken exhibited a strong positive relationship of 0.861 and 0.845 before August break, 0.775 and 0.894 during August break with both rain fall and relative humidity. However the relationship was negative with both maximum and minimum temperatures. Suggestions are made on how to manage both major weather types and poultry operation for efficient poultry farm development in the tropics.

The studies of urban climate are attracting significant attention in the present dispensation due to the global impacts of climate change, induced mostly by anthropogenic activities. This study examines the community perception of deforestation and climate change in Ibadan, Oyo state. Data for this study were obtained from both primary and secondary sources. A total of 400 questionnaires were administered randomly across the 11 local government areas using purposive sampling technique while 365 were retrieved and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results obtained revealed that majority of the people (77%) are familiar with the concept of climate change. 39% and 29% of the respondent perceived variability in temperature and rainfall respectively as the major problems confronting climatic parameters which invariably led to climate change. The result further shows that 95% of the respondent agreed that deforestation account mostly for the incidence of climate change. However, the impacts of deforestation on climate change were perceived to be severe (40%) in the study area. Meanwhile, 37% of the respondents believed that afforestation and mix farming is the most suitable solution to address the problem of climate change. The study recommended the use of environment friendly source of energy such as solar vehicle, bio-fuel and promotion of green environment (tree planting) among others to prevent severe impact of climate change.

The response of yam tuber development to its micro-climate was monitored at the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM) for two yam growing seasons. The micro climate data measured include air temperature, rainfall, number of rain days, relative humidity, soil temperature at intervals of 5cm, 20cm, 30cm and 40cm and soil moisture with depths at 0-15cm, 15-30cm and 30-45cm. Measurement of yam tuber circumference and length were taken on monthly basis from the period of tuber initiation (34 WAP) to period of tuber maturity (50 WAP) using thread and measuring tape. Monthly means of weather elements from research plot was calculated, grouped and summarized using descriptive statistics of mean and percentages. Dependency of yam tuber development on meteorological factors was examined through statistical analysis of correlation and regression. Based on this, the period of tuber development in Kwara State was identified and categorized. The growth in yam tuber responds positively more to rainfall frequency than rainfall amount. Again soil temperature at 5cm depth was identified to be more critical for efficient yam tuberization. Farmers in the study area are advised to improve on the materials used for mulching to increase yam yield.