This refers to the process of continuous degradation of the dry land ecosystem through human activities of climatic variations. Over the years, desertification has occurred to all continents other than in the Arctic poles, and it affects the lives of billions of people. In some places, desertification has occurred as a result of the persistent failure of human to balance between the demand and supply of services provided by the ecosystem (Michaelis 20). As the population increase, there has been a huge demand for dry land to supply more services and products such as food, construction materials, water and land for settlement and agriculture. The reduction of forest cover to pave the way for human activities, climate factors like drought, and natural disasters like wildfires, hurricanes, and earthquakes increase the possibility of desertification.
The process of desertification through erosion
Soil erosion and degradation are geological processes that have resulted in a significant degree of desertification. The soil is a very fragile skin covering the outermost part of the earth's crust and is comprised of countless particles and species that create a complex ecosystem. The soil is responsible for supporting plant growth by providing nutrients, water, and support. Trees and other plant species grow on the soil, and if it weakens, the plants are also affected. Erosion is the topmost cause of soil degradation. There are three major processes that cause erosion which includes running water, animals, wind, glacier and human activities (Lal 7). Moving water, wind, and glacier erode the top nutritious soil and transport it to another location leaving the ground bare and unable to support life. Activities such as overgrazing, expose the topsoil to agents of erosion while human activities like construction deny vegetation the opportunity to grow. Once the vegetation is uprooted, it takes longer to reclaim the land but also increases the risk of more land mass to be eroded.
Works Cited
Lal, Rattan. "Soil erosion by wind and water: problems and prospects." Soil erosion research methods. Routledge, 2017. 1-10.
Michaelis, Andreas. "Deforestation and desertification. Critical development issues?." (2014).
