1. Desertification Jedidah Jackson http://www.visumsurf.ch/jahr_der_wueste/images/klima.jpg

2. What is it?  Desertification is “the processes by which an area becomes a desert, usually involving drought combined with the overexploitation of existing plant life” (Random House Webster’s College Dictionary) http://www.kew.org/science/tropamerica/images/peru/IMAGE-4-desertification.jpg

3. What does that mean?  It means that Desertification is when land becomes a desert, because of lack of rain and not enough plant life http://www.worldproutassembly.org/images/desert_tunisia.jpg

4. What happens to land in Desertification?  Demonstration Time!  I need 7 volunteers  Oh yeah, and Chris, too

5. What just happened?  Chris (the rich top soil) couldn’t be pushed around by the wind very much because of all the plants standing around him  However, when the plants weren’t there, Chris went EVERYWHERE

6.  This is what happens in Desertification – there is not enough plant life to keep the rich, fertile top soil where it needs to be  Also, there isn’t enough rain to keep the top soil moist  The wind comes along and blows the top soil all over the place, exposing the less nutrient-rich soil underneath

7.  Because there is no nutrient-rich top soil, plants have a very hard time growing, because they don’t have enough food to eat  This continues the vicious cycle of no plant life to save the top soil from being blown all over by the wind

8.  This is when the land turns into a dry, barren DESERT http://chinadigitaltimes.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/china-desert.jpg

9. That’s only in Africa…  No, it isn’t! Desertification is a threat to any place that doesn’t have a lot of rain and has few plants (or has overexploitation of the plants they do have) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Desertification_map.png

10. Is Oregon at risk for Desertification?  What do you think?

13. What can WE do about Desertification?  Brainstorming/thinking shower time!  Think about the causes of Desertification and how we can prevent it! http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/desertification-4.jpg

14. Projects already in Action  International Day to Combat Desertification – June 17, 2009 http://www.unccd.int/images/june17/june17-big.jpg

15. Activity Time!

16. Resources  http://sgp.undp.org/intranet//img/projects/7167/VN-03-002-6.jpg http://sgp.undp.org/intranet//img/projects/7167/VN-03-002-6.jpg  http://www.unccd.int/images/june17/june17-big.jpg http://www.unccd.int/images/june17/june17-big.jpg  http://www.cite- sciences.fr/english/ala_cite/expositions/eau_pour_tous/img/maitriser_eau/ desert_adritzz.jpg http://www.cite- sciences.fr/english/ala_cite/expositions/eau_pour_tous/img/maitriser_eau/ desert_adritzz.jpg http://www.cite- sciences.fr/english/ala_cite/expositions/eau_pour_tous/img/maitriser_eau/ desert_adritzz.jpg  http://chinadigitaltimes.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/china-desert.jpg http://chinadigitaltimes.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/china-desert.jpg  http://www.worldproutassembly.org/images/desert_tunisia.jpg http://www.worldproutassembly.org/images/desert_tunisia.jpg  http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/tools/edb/sbfinal.gif http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/tools/edb/sbfinal.gif  http://portal.unesco.org/es/files/33055/11492610633desertification.jpg/des ertification.jpg http://portal.unesco.org/es/files/33055/11492610633desertification.jpg/des ertification.jpg http://portal.unesco.org/es/files/33055/11492610633desertification.jpg/des ertification.jpg  http://www.kew.org/science/tropamerica/images/peru/IMAGE-4- desertification.jpg http://www.kew.org/science/tropamerica/images/peru/IMAGE-4- desertification.jpg http://www.kew.org/science/tropamerica/images/peru/IMAGE-4- desertification.jpg  http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/desertification-4.jpg http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/desertification-4.jpg  http://www.visumsurf.ch/jahr_der_wueste/images/klima.jpg http://www.visumsurf.ch/jahr_der_wueste/images/klima.jpg  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Desertification_map. png http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Desertification_map. png http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Desertification_map. png