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Table of Contents
Abstract: ..................................................................................................................................... 1
DESERTS: ................................................................................................................................. 2
Deserts of the World: ................................................................................................................. 2
CATEGORIES OF DESERTIFICATION: ............................................................................... 3
1. Light Desertification: ...................................................................................................... 3
2. Moderate desertification: ................................................................................................ 3
3. Severe Desertification: .................................................................................................... 3
4. Very severe desertification: ............................................................................................ 3
Causes of Desertification: .......................................................................................................... 3
1. Drought: .......................................................................................................................... 3
2. Overgrazing: ................................................................................................................... 3
3. Overcultivation: .............................................................................................................. 4
4. Removal of trees for fuel and shelter: ............................................................................. 4
COUNTER MEASURES & PREVENTION FOR DESERTIFICATION: .............................. 4
1. Reforestation: .................................................................................................................. 4
2. Fixation of soil: ............................................................................................................... 5
3. Contour trenching: .......................................................................................................... 5
4. Farmer-managed natural regeneration: ........................................................................... 6
5. Managed grazing:............................................................................................................ 6
References: ................................................................................................................................. 6

Table of figures:
Figure 1: Desert.......................................................................................................................... 2
Figure 2: Showing results for distribution of non-polar land .................................................... 2
Figure 3: Drought....................................................................................................................... 3
Figure 4: Demolishing trees ....................................................................................................... 4
Figure 5: Cutting trees ............................................................................................................... 4
Figure 6: Reforestation .............................................................................................................. 4
Figure 7: Reforestation cycle ..................................................................................................... 5
Figure 8: Shelter Belts ............................................................................................................... 5
Figure 9: Tillage......................................................................................................................... 5
Figure 10: Contour Trenching ................................................................................................... 5
Figure 11: FARMER-MANAGED NATURAL ........................................................................ 6
Figure 12: Managed grazing ...................................................................................................... 6

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ABSTRACT:
Desertification is recognized as a major threat to biodiversity. Reforestation is the natural or
intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands that have been depleted, usually
through deforestation. The residue from pruned trees can be used to provide mulching for fields
thus increasing soil water retention and reducing evaporation.
There are 4 main factors in desertification drought over grazing over cultivation trees used for
fuel and shelter. The Leguminous plants which extract nitrogen from the air and fixes it in the
soil, and food crops/trees as grains, barley, beans and dates are the most important because
there are no crops to protect the soil the soil is again easily eroded by the wind and rain. Light
in this type of desertification, a very slight damage occurs in vegetation cover and soil. A large,
dry, barren region, usually having sandy or rocky soil and little or no vegetation. Fixating the
soil is often done through the use of shelter belts, woodlots and windbreaks.
Desertification, also called desertization, the process by which natural or human causes reduce
the biological productivity of drylands. There are few trees in the desert and their roots hold
the soil together. Indigenous soil inoculants can optionally be used to increase survival rates in
hardy environments. Windbreaks are made from trees and bushes and are used to reduce soil
erosion and evapotranspiration. When the trees are removed for firewood or to build shelter the
roots die and the soil becomes loose.

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DESERTIFICATION

DESERTS:
A large, dry, barren region, usually having
sandy or rocky soil and little or no vegetation.
Water lost to evaporation and transpiration in a
desert exceeds the amount of precipitation; most
deserts average less than 25 cm (9.75 inches) of
precipitation each year, concentrated in short
local bursts. Figure 1: Desert
Desertification, also called desertization, the process by which natural or human causes
reduce the biological productivity of drylands (arid and semiarid lands). The concept does not
refer to the physical expansion of existing deserts but rather to the various processes that
threaten all dryland ecosystems, including deserts as well as grasslands and scrublands
(Rafferty, 2020).

DESERTS OF THE WORLD:

Approximately one-third of the Earth's land surface is desert, arid land with insufficient rainfall
that supports only sparse vegetation and a limited population of people and animals (Unknown,
2018).

Figure 2: Showing results for distribution of non-polar land

Desertification is a type of land degradation in which a relatively dry land region becomes
increasingly arid, typically losing its bodies of water as well as vegetation and wildlife. It is
caused by a variety of factors. Desertification is a significant global ecological and
environmental problem (Geist, 2005).
(ARID: Lacking moisture, especially having insufficient rainfall to support trees or woody plants)

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CATEGORIES OF DESERTIFICATION:
1. Light Desertification:
In this type of desertification, a very slight damage occurs in vegetation cover and soil. This
damage does not affect the biological capacity of the environment and can be neglected.
2. Moderate desertification:
A medium degree of damage of vegetation cover occurs and formation of small sand dunes and
salinization of the soil which reduces production by 10- 25%.
3. Severe Desertification:
In this type, spreading of weeds and unwanted shrubs in the pasture at the expense of desirable
and wanted species occurs as well as increasing of the erosion activity which affects the
vegetation cover and reduces production up to 50%.
4. Very severe desertification:
In this type of desertification, composition of active naked great sand dunes occurs and
formation of many grooves and valleys and the salinization of the soil which leads to soil
degradation. It is the most serious type of desertification.
(Gowtham, 2015).

CAUSES OF DESERTIFICATION:
There are 4 main factors in desertification
Drought
Over grazing
Over cultivation
Trees used for fuel and shelter
1. Drought:
• A long period without rainfall.
• Causes crops to die.
• Lack of food.
• May have to move to find food. Figure 3: Drought
2. Overgrazing:
• Too many animals grazing on the land.
• Animals eat all the vegetation.
• Vegetation fails to grow.
• Soil is exposed to rain and wind.
• Soil is washed or blown away.
Figure 4: Overgrazing Figure 5: Overgrazing effects

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3. Overcultivation:
• Many crops being grown on the land year after year.
• No rotation of crops.
• Crops take all the nutrients from the soil.
• The soil becomes infertile and nothing can grow.
• Because there are no crops to protect the soil the soil is
again easily eroded by the wind and rain.
Figure 6: Overcultivation

4. Removal of trees for fuel and shelter:

• There are few trees in the desert and their roots hold the soil together.
• When the trees are removed for firewood or to build shelter the roots die and the soil
becomes loose.
• Yet again this means the soil can be easily blown or washed away.
(Gowtham, 2015).

Figure 5: Cutting trees Figure 4: Demolishing trees

COUNTER MEASURES & PREVENTION FOR DESERTIFICATION:

Desertification is recognized as a major threat to biodiversity. Some countries have developed
Biodiversity Action Plans to counter its effects, particularly in relation to the protection of
endangered flora and fauna. The culture of prevention requires a change in governments’ and
peoples’ attitudes through improved incentives (Experts, 2017).
Reforestation.
Fixation of soil.
Contour trenching.
Farmer-managed natural regeneration.
Managed grazing.
1. Reforestation:
• Reforestation is the natural or intentional
restocking of existing forests and woodlands
that have been depleted, usually through
deforestation (dictionary.com, 2008).
• Reforestation can be used to improve the
quality of human life by soaking up
Figure 6: Reforestation
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pollution and dust from the air, rebuild natural

habitats and ecosystems, mitigate global warming
since forests facilitate bio sequestration of
atmospheric carbon dioxide, and harvest for
resources (Gillis, 2016).
• The term reforestation is similar to afforestation,
the process of restoring and recreating areas of
woodlands or forests that may have existed long
ago but were deforested or otherwise removed at
some point in the past (Reforestation, 2021). Figure 7: Reforestation cycle
• Reforestation of large areas can be done through the
use of measuring rope (for accurate plant spacing) and dibbers, (or wheeled augers for
planting the larger trees) for making the hole in which a seedling or plant can be
inserted. Indigenous soil inoculants (e.g., Laccaria bicolor) can optionally be used to
increase survival rates in hardy environments (arifin, 2014).
2. Fixation of soil:
• Fixating the soil is often done through the use of shelter belts, woodlots and windbreaks.
Windbreaks are made from trees and bushes and are used to reduce soil erosion and
evapotranspiration.
• Some soils (for example, clay), due to lack of water can become consolidated rather
than porous (as in the case of sandy soils). Some techniques as tillage are then used to
still allow the planting of crops.
• Enriching of the soil and restoration of its fertility is often done by plants. The
Leguminous plants which extract nitrogen from the air and fixes it in the soil, and food
crops/trees as grains, barley, beans and dates are the most important. Sand fences can
also be used to control drifting of soil and sand erosion. (Gowtham, 2015)

Figure 9: Tillage Figure 8: Shelter Belts

3. Contour trenching:
• Contour trenching is an agricultural technique that
can be easily applied in arid subareas to allow for
water and soil conservation and to increase
agricultural production (R.S. Kurothe, 2014).
• This involves the digging of 150m long, 1m deep
trenches in the soil. The trenches are made parallel
to the height lines of the landscape, preventing the
water from flowing within the trenches and
Figure 10: Contour Trenching

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causing erosion. Stone walls are placed around the trenches to prevent the trenches from
closing up again (Experts, 2017).
4. Farmer-managed natural regeneration:
• Technique that has produced successful results for
desert reclamation.
• Its a simple and low-cost method has enabled
farmers to regenerate some 30,000 square
kilometres. The process involves enabling native
sprouting tree growth through selective pruning of
Figure 11: Farmer-managed
shrub shoots. natural
• The residue from pruned trees can be used to provide
mulching for fields thus increasing soil water retention and reducing evaporation.
(Experts, 2017)
5. Managed grazing:
A method proposed to restore grasslands by using fences with many small paddocks and
moving herds from one paddock to another after a day or two in order to mimic natural
grazers and allowing the grass to grow optimally (Experts, 2017).

Figure 12: Managed grazing

REFERENCES:
arifin, i. (2014, MAY 01). Reforestation. medan, umatra utara, Indonesia. Retrieved from
https://ilhamarifin12345.blogspot.com/2014/05/reforestation.html
dictionary.com. (2008, 04 27). reforestation. Retrieved from www.dictionary.com:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Reforestation
Experts, D. (2017). The Ecology & Environment Compendium. Disha Publications.
Geist, H. (2005). The Causes and Progression of Desertification. Ashgate Publishing.
Gillis, J. (2016, may 16). In Latin America, Forests May Rise to Challenge of Carbon
Dioxide. Retrieved from The New York Times (NYT):
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/17/science/forests-carbon-dioxide.html
Gowtham, S. (2015, Sep 18). DESERTIFICATION. Retrieved from slideshare.net:
https://www.slideshare.net/sushmithagowtham/desertification-52936834

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R.S. Kurothe, A. V. (2014). Decision support system for contour trenching. Indian Journal of
Soil Conservation, 42. Retrieved from
http://indianjournals.com/ijor.aspx?target=ijor:ijsc&type=home
Rafferty, J. P. (2020, January 29). Desertification. Retrieved from Encyclopedia Britannica:
https://www.britannica.com/science/desertification
Reforestation. (2021, Feb 18). Retrieved from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reforestation
Unknown. (2018, 12 01). What is a desert? Retrieved from The U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS): https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/deserts/what/
All photos are by Unknown Author but licensed under CC BY-SA.

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