Desertification

1
Desertification

• By Andrew Augustus
• Anne Bragg

2
What is Desertification

• Desertification is the
• degradation of land
• in arid and dry
• sub-humid areas,
• resulting primarily from
• human activities.
• Dry soil can be blown or washed away, leaving
  infertile soil in its place.
• It can effect areas such as prairies, savannas,
  rainforests, and mountains

3
Causes of Desertification

• Drought
• Areas that receive little rainfall are subject
  to dry land
• Overgrazing
• Livestock are allowed to feed freely on
  vegetation without recovery periods for the
  plants to grow back.
• Also compacts the soil doesnt allow rain to
  infiltrate
• Deforestation
• Cutting down trees allows sun to dry the soil

4
What are the effects of Desertification?

• The effects of Desertification are
• The loss of vegetation. Which will make the dry
  lands vulnerable for erosion
• The crops suffer
• Millions of people for example the dust storms
  will cause health problems such as asthma
• Increases starvation for animals/plants and humans

5
Examples

• Sahara Desert
• A climate change caused lakes and rivers to
  decrease
• Land was harder to farm on
• Vegetation died
• Livestock died of starvation
• Saharan Africans suffered from hunger and became
  completely dependant on international food

6
Examples

• The Dust Bowl(1930s)
• The cause of the Dust Bowl was poor farming
  methods, cultivation and lack of crop rotation.
• A drought occurred and killed most crops soil
  became loose and blew away in wind storms
• Caused sand storms and shortage of food

7
Works Cited

• Collins, Jocelyn. Desertification. Enviro
  Facts. 1 Feb. 2001 27 Feb. 2009
  lthttp//www.botany.uwc.ac.za/envFacts/facts/desert
  ification.htmgt.
• Pannell, Marjorie. "Desertification." Gale
  Encyclopedia of Science. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and
  Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. 4th ed. Detroit Gale
  Group, 2008. Student Resource Center - Gold.
  Gale. Stroudsburg High School. 27 Feb. 2009
• ""Scientific Facts on Desertification." Green
  Facts. 2005. Millenium Ecosystem Assesment. 27
  Feb. 2009 lthttp//www.greenfacts.org/en/desertific
  ation/gt.