2. Desertification is a type of land degradation in drylands in which
biological productivity is lost due to natural processes or induced
by human activities whereby fertile areas become increasingly
more arid. It is the spread of arid areas caused by a variety of
factors, such as through climate change (particularly the current
global warming) and through the overexploitation of soil through
humanactivity.
3.
4.
5. Europe's desertification is no longer a forecast, it is a real threat.
Higher temperatures, deforestation or water deficit contribute
significantly to climate change, which is also observed in
Poland.
The desertification of Poland has been discussed about for over
50 years now. Desertification, or rather its dehydration,
means above all soil degradation in dry, semi-dry and
periodically dry areas, caused by various factors, including
climaticand anthropogenicfactors.
6.
7. Althoughdesertification,as understood by the United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertification ratified by Poland in
1996, does not occur, a significant area of the central part of
our country (Wielkopolskie Voivodeship - one-fifth of Poland
in terms of land area) is covered by steppes, leading to
gradualsoil degradation and their loss of agriculturalvalue.
8. Counteracting this phenomenon should include activities
aimed at reclamation of partially degraded areas as a result of
soil erosion, deterioration of its physical, chemical and
biologicallongevity of loss of naturalvegetation.
13. -destroying vegetation, cutting down forests
-excessive grazing of animals
-agriculture: the change of dry meadows into arable fields or the cultivation
of too sloping slopes
-abandoning traditional farming techniques for commercial farming
-poor drainage causes salinity of irrigated areas
-mining activities (creating adepression funnel)
-excessive fertilization
14.
15. - reducing the number of pastures
- nosurface water
- reductionof agricultural production,fewer farmlands
- conversionof the terrain intoa desert
