Remote Sensing Analysis of Vegetation Recovery After Wildfire in Ogun State

Wildfires periodically affect savanna ecosystems in South West Nigeria, particularly during the dry season, causing vegetation loss and soil degradation. This study analyses vegetation recovery trajectories following a wildfire event recorded in Ogun State's Omo Forest Reserve in early 2021 using Sentinel-2 multi-temporal imagery. The Normalised Burn Ratio and the differenced Normalised Burn Ratio are computed from pre-fire, immediate post-fire, and multi-year recovery imagery to assess burn severity and subsequent vegetation regrowth. NDVI time series for burned and unburned control plots are compared to quantify recovery rates. Results indicate that areas classified as low-severity burns achieved over 80 percent NDVI recovery within 18 months, while high-severity patches showed substantially slower recovery trajectories. Invasive grass species colonise high-severity burn areas more rapidly than native woodland, indicating ecosystem state shifts. The study recommends targeted reforestation of high-severity burn patches using endemic woody species to accelerate recovery. Keywords: wildfire, vegetation recovery, Sentinel-2, burn severity, Ogun State