Assessment of Riparian Vegetation Structure Along the Kaduna River: Implications for Watershed Management

Riparian vegetation provides essential ecosystem services including bank stabilisation, water quality regulation, and wildlife habitat connectivity, yet river corridor vegetation in north-central Nigeria has been extensively modified by agricultural encroachment and domestic water use activities. This study assesses the structural composition and condition of riparian vegetation along a 60-kilometre segment of the Kaduna River in Kaduna State, spanning both peri-urban and rural stretches. Permanent belt transects extending 50 metres from the water edge were established at twenty sampling stations. Tree and shrub density, diameter, height, and canopy cover were measured alongside soil erosion indicators and evidence of human disturbance. Results reveal significant structural degradation in peri-urban reaches, characterised by heavily thinned canopy, high proportions of exotic and invasive species, and visible bank erosion. Rural sections retained higher species diversity and canopy continuity, though seasonal agricultural plots within the riparian buffer were common. Riparian buffer width correlated positively with water clarity measures and bank stability indices. The study documents a 42% reduction in closed riparian canopy over the past decade, based on comparison with archived aerial photographs. Recommendations focus on enforcement of a minimum 30-metre no-cultivation riparian buffer under the Kaduna River Basin Development Authority mandate and community-led buffer zone revegetation. Keywords: riparian vegetation, watershed management, Kaduna River, buffer zone, bank erosion