The Application of Allan’s Critical Population Density Concept to the Intensively-Settled Parts of Owerri Province, East Central State, Nigeria.

Abstract

This thesis seeks to establish the levels of population densities, beyond which excessive pressure of population on land would occur in parts of Owerri Province, Nigeria. These Critical Population Densities are determined using Allan's Model. The results of an original field survey and questionnaire provided the information for calculating land requirement per head of the population, and for estimating the carrying-capacity of land. Certain normative hypotheses relating some variables in agricultural land use to elements of farm structure are tested. Other tests are also performed to determine the relative degree of importance of the variables associated with acreage per head cultivated in the province in 1971.