1. Ch. 6 & 7

2. The transformation of arable or habitable land to desert, by a change in climate or destructive land use. What is desertification?

3. What are the causes of desertification? Raising cattle o Pounding of soil by livestock o Overgrazing of livestock Overcultivation of land - plowing Deforestation Fire Overpopulation Linear dunes of the Sahara Desert encroach on Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. The dunes border a mosque at left (photograph by Georg Gerster).

4. Where is desertification taking place? Western plains of the US Southern plateau of Nepal Sahel: band of arid grassland 200-400 miles wide, between the Sahara to the north and fertile regions to the south. The countries of the Sahel today include Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia.SenegalMauritania MaliBurkina FasoNigerNigeriaChad SudanEthiopiaEritreaDjiboutiSomalia

5. Sahel Fragile environment Water & soil barely sufficient for native grasslands 10-20 inches precipitation per year Soil lacks nutrients Dry soil blows away Remaining sand piles up into dunes

6. The Sahelian drought from the late 1960s to early 1980s created a famine that killed a million people, afflicted more than 50 million, and severely impacted the economies, agriculture, livestock, and human populations of Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Niger, and Burkina Faso. (photograph by Daniel Stiles, UNEP).

7. What is being done to prevent desertification? Usage of satellites to monitor problematic areas. Sand Fences, Tree Fences, and Grass Belts Educating about proper crop rotation and soil usage United Nations involvement Reducing intensity of herding and agriculture could combat climate change

8. HOMEWORK! Read TWO articles: o Drought and Desertification in the Sahel o Crop and Livestock Introductions as “The Curse of Africa” Read and highlight/underline key ideas, facts, statistics, etc. in BOTH articles Then write at least one paragraph (7-10 sentences) summary of EACH article citing evidence and facts learned… Due tomorrow!