Desertification and Erosion

What is Desertification? Desertification is the persistent degradation of dryland ecosystems by climate and human activities. It occurs on all continents except Antarctica and affects millions of people. As land dries out, it is no longer useful for growing crops(food) for humans.

What causes desertification? Desertification occurs as a result of a long-term failure to balance human demand with what the ecosystem can supply. Human demand refers to what people want or need from the ecosystem around them. Some major factors that cause this unbalance are increased population, overgrazing of livestock and irresponsible water use. The more ecosystems are stressed the easier it is to cause damage to them.

Overgrazing? Overgrazing is an act of livestock eating or destroying too much vegetation on the ground. Either there are too many grazing animals in one area at a time or that area is not given enough to time to replenish or regrow its vegetation. Drylands don’t have a lot of vegetation to offer so it doesn’t take much to destroy what little is available. Overgrazing can leave the ground baron and open to erosion.

What is soil erosion? After desertification has taken place wind and water erosion occur due to the vulnerability of topsoil. As vegetation (grass, plants, trees) are destroyed, the topsoil is left with nothing to hold on to. When heavy winds or rains occur the topsoil can be easily carried or washed away.

Why is topsoil so important? Topsoil is important for agricultural growth (food). Soil on the ground provides nutrients to help crops grow, without topsoil the ground is no longer fertile. Fertile refers to the nutrients present in soil that aid in the growth of crops. If the crops do not grow food, then what are people supposed to eat?

Overpopulation Increased population growth is a main contributor to desertification. As populations grow the need for more resources like water and food increase as well, putting more stress on the ecosystem to provide those resources. Think of history class, do you know how many people inhabited the Earth 300 years ago? There was less than 1 billion people back then and now there is 7.6 billion. That is a lot of people that are relying on the same planet.

Close to Home: Drought in California Farmers in California are reaching their limits. The state’s agricultural business used to be one of the most profitable in the United States by supplying almost half of the countries fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Because of drought or a lack of water, the Central Valley region is succumbing to the process of desertification. Water that farmers used to use on their crops is no longer available and their crops are dying. Their lack of water has to do with climate change and irresponsible use of water over the years. The lack of water and other factors has caused the process of desertification in the region. Despite efforts to restore the region, the future is unsure for many families and farms.

What’s being done to help? There are many efforts put in place around the world to stop or reverse desertification. Desertification is detrimental to the environment and overall human well-being. Without water and food sources many poor countries around the world are starving. Some countries have focused on planting trees and vegetation to help stop the erosion of topsoil. Many are also focused on better water and agricultural practices, to reduce the amount of water wasted. Even beyond that, some countries have pushed the introduction of seafood as a major source of food besides fruits and vegetables produced by growing crops.