Back to Environment > Desertification Review
Abstract
Desertification — a weakening of the ability of soil to support plant and animal life — threatens some twenty-five percent of the world’s landmass. Today more than one billion of the world’s estimated 6.5 billion people must contend with the steadily decreasing productivity of their farms and grazing lands.
Causes range from gradual climatic changes that decrease precipitation to burgeoning populations that escalate land use. Even in years of adequate seasonal rains, overgrazing in arid and semi-arid regions, along with massive collection of wood for cooking and heating, can impair the ability of natural vegetation to thrive. With reduced plant populations, soil cohesion breaks down, encouraging erosion by wind and water. The impact of animal hoofs also disturbs the soil, reducing the infiltration of rainwater by compaction, and increasing the proportion of fine material. Runoff and flooding then increase, washing away surface particles — a phenomenon known as land erosion.
Key to countering desertification are its study and detection and, in particular, the introduction of techniques to ensure proper land and water management. This requires a broad-based, multidisciplinary effort, including meteorology, geology, hydrology, soil science, biology and agricultural technology, along with sociology, anthropology, and economics.
Aspects of desertification-relevant research carried out at the Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research include:
Factors Involved in Desertification
Ground Studies by Artificial Satellites
Improved Management of Water Resources
Next section
