shaibu1986/Makurdi_Urban_Ecology

Code and data for "Elucidating the Urbanization Filter: A Spatially Explicit Analysis of Edaphic Constraints and Vegetation Resilience in Makurdi, Nigeria." # Elucidating the Urbanization Filter in Makurdi, Nigeria This repository contains the geospatial datasets, machine learning models, and analytical workflows for the study assessing edaphic constraints and vegetation resilience along an anthropogenic gradient in Makurdi, Nigeria. ## 👥 Authors * **Shaibu Ochoche** — Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN). * **Anatoly Aleksandrovich Kirichuk** — Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN). * **Emaikwu Patience Onyamoche** — Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University. ## 📝 Abstract Urbanization fundamentally alters the abiotic filters that govern vegetation health, yet the specific geochemical thresholds of these transitions remain poorly understood in tropical Guinea-Savannah cities. This study characterizes the environmental filtering process in Makurdi, Nigeria, by integrating satellite-derived anthropogenic and biological indices with high-resolution edaphic data. Utilizing a Random Forest regressor and Partial Dependence Modeling, we analyzed the hierarchical influence of urbanization intensity and eight soil biophysical properties on the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI). The model demonstrated exceptional predictive power ($R^2 = 0.914$; $RMSE = 0.0135$), identifying **Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)** as the "Master Filter" of the landscape. A significant urban geochemical signature was observed, where increased urbanization intensity was positively coupled with soil alkalinity ($r = 0.249, p < 0.001$), creating a physiological bottleneck for native flora. Critical ecological tipping points were established at an **SOC median of 11.27 g/kg** and a **pH of 5.77**, below which vegetation vigor undergoes rapid non-linear decline. ## 📊 Key Results * **Model Performance:** $R^2 = 0.914$ (Random Forest Regressor). * **Dominant Filter:** Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) is the primary driver of vegetation vigor. * **Ecological Tipping Points:** * **SOC:** 11.27 g/kg * **pH:** 5.77 * **Bulk Density:** 1.37 g/cm³ …