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Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors including climatic variations and human activities. Modern desertification often arises from the demands of increased populations that settle on the land in order to grow crops and graze animals.
However, there has been major controversy over the definition of the term, as well as its causes. Attempts to define or map areas that are or have turned into desert have been sharply criticized. What is usually less controversial is the fact of biodiversity loss, and loss of productive capacity, such as the transition from grassland dominated by perennial grasses to one dominated by perennial shrubs. In the southwestern deserts of the United States, semiarid ecosystems dominated by perennial bunchgrasses, including blue grama and black grama, have been replaced by shrublands dominated by creosotebush since the early 1900s. The change in vegetation is thought to have induced desertification in this region.
Hat Face
In some regions around the world, deserts are separated sharply from surrounding, less arid areas by mountains and other contrasting landforms that reflect basic structural differences in the regional geology. In other areas, desert fringes form a gradual transition from a dry to a more humid environment, making it more difficult to define the desert border. These transition zones have very fragile, delicately balanced ecosystems. Desert fringes often are a mosaic of microclimates. Small hollows support vegetation that picks up heat from the hot winds and protects the land from the prevailing winds. After rainfall the vegetated areas are distinctly cooler than the surroundings. More on [ Desertification ]
Deforestation :: Biodiversity
Deserts :: Biomes
Drought :: Climate
Desertification and Climate Change: A Review of Atmospheric ...: Creating awareness of Global Desertification, Climate C http://url4.eu/zP8F
CSR_ticker (Freie Mediale S.) Sun, 27 Dec 2009 01:06:39 -0000
Desertification and Climate Change: A Review of Atmospheric ...: Creating awareness of Global Desertification, Climate C http://url4.eu/zP8F
Betwn rock & hard place - tragic conseq. climate change, desertification, for women http://is.gd/5CGvV #energy #climate #India #Water
mbd_x (Mark B. Durieux) Sun, 27 Dec 2009 00:37:26 -0000
Betwn rock & hard place - tragic conseq. climate change, desertification, for women http://is.gd/5CGvV #energy #climate #India #Water
Desertification an
Forecasting - General details about desertification, forcasting, desert plants and a photo gallery.
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Combatting Desertification - Introduction to desertification and ways to combat desertification, details of activities undertaken and contact information.
Desertification - Describes the prolems that desertification causes to humans, how it's monitored, and how we can fix it.
Desertification - Describes what causes desertification, and how we can stop it.
Desertification - How the reduction of the World's forests causes desertification.
Desertification - An article that describes how global warming can lead to desertification.
Desertification - Short introduction into desertification in Africa.
Desertification Fact Sheet - Gives some tips on how to reduce desertification.
Desertification is Both a Cause and a Consequence of Poverty - Describes how desertification and poverty are related.
Desertification of Arid Land - Research paper about goes into detail about desertification.
Desertification, Drought and Their Consequences - Offers features of desertification, and their worldwide consequences.
Desertification: A Threat to the Sahel - Describes how desertification may ruin a lush region of Africa.
Desertification: Earth's Silent Scourge - Explores the problems of desertification, the warning signs, and how we can reduce it using proper land management.
Meta Description: [ usinfo.state.gov UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE ]
Reversing Desertification and Healing Damaged Land - Offers ideas on how to reduce desertification by using natural methods.
Meta Description: [ Article index: By imitating what nature would do if the ecololgy was healthy, people around the world produce spectacular land recoveries. ]
What is Desertification? - Defines desertification, and has a world map of where it is a problem.
Wikipedia: Desertification - Encyclopedia article that describes the causes of desertification, and how it can be countered.
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