It is the process by which an area becomes even more barren, less capable of retaining vegetation and progresses towards becoming a desert. This is often a cause of long term disasters. Deforestation, overgrazing etc. bring about changes in rainfall, temperature, wind velocity etc. and also lead to soil erosion. Such changes then lead to desertification of the area.
Land is a finite natural resource. Land is an important resource as it provides essential medium for development of agriculture, vegetation, forestry etc. Land degradation occurs whenever the natural balances in the landscape are changed by human activity, through misuse or overuse. Misuse of an ecosystem leads to the loss of valuable soil through erosion by water/rainfall and wind. There are four principle factors leading to soil erosion i.e. climate, soil characteristics, topography and ground cover.
Last modified: Thursday, 29 December 2011, 6:08 AM
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