Desertification, define, deserts of the world, types of desertification, causes of desertification, impacts of desertification, desertification in Pakistan, solutions for desertification

1. DESERTIFICATION
Presented by Shanza Maryam
MSc. Zoology 2nd semester

2. CONTENTS:
*INTRODUCTION.
*DESERTIFICATION.
*TYPES OF DESERTIFICATION.
*CAUSES OF DESERTIFICATION.
*Impacts of desertification
*Solution for desertification

3. INTRODUCTION
• The process by which fertile land becomes
desert, typically as a result of drought,
deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.
• “nearly one fifth of the world’s land is
threatened with desertification “

5. Deserts of the World
Approximately one-third of the Earth’s land surface is
desert, arid land with meager rainfall that supports
only sparse vegetation and a limited population of
people and animals.

6. What is desertification?
• Desertification is land degradation process in arid and
semi-arid areas.
• It is a process by which fertile land is transformed into
desert.
• It becomes progressively drier Unable to support any
plant growth for food production.
• It occur due to various factors including climatic
variations and human activities.

7. Types of desertification
1.Light desertification
2.Moderat desertification
3.Severe desertification
4.Very severe desertification

8. 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.

9. 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%.

10. 3.Severe Desertification:
• In this type, spreading of weeds and
unwanted shrubs in the pasture as well as
increasing of the erosion activity which
affects the vegetation cover and reduces
production up to 50%.

11. 4.Very severe desertification:
• In this type of desertification, 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.

12. Main Causes of desertification
> Overgrazing
> Drought
> Climate change
> Over cultivation
> Deforestation
> Natural disasters.

13. 1. OVERGRAZING
• Overgrazing is grazing by livestock or wildlife to
the point where the grass cover is depleted,
leaving bare, unprotected patches of soil.

14. • Animal grazing is a huge problem for many areas
that are starting to become desert biomes.
• If there are too many animals that are overgrazing
in certain spots, it makes it difficult for the plants to
grow back, which hurts the biome and makes it
lose its former green glory.

15. • 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.

16. DROUGHT
• Drought is the result of a deficiency in
precipitation.
• A drought is caused by drier than normal
conditions that can eventually lead to water
supply problems.
• Really hot temperatures can make a dought
worse by causing moisture to evaporate from the
soil.

17. • A long period without rainfall .
•Causes crops to die.
• lack of food.
•May have to move to find food.

18. Climate Changes
Both natural variability in climate and global
warming can also affect rainfall patterns
around the world, which can contribute to
desertification. Rainfall has a cooling effect on
the land surface, so a decline in rainfall can
allow soils to dry out in the heat and become
more prone to erosion

19. • 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.

20. Deforestation
It is cutting down or clearing of trees from a
wooded area.
If trees are removed, the area can become
much warmer and drier,
⚫ which may result in desertification,
⚫ which is a transform fertile land into desert.

21. Natural Disasters
•
•There are some cases where the land gets
damaged because of natural disasters,
including drought.
• In those cases, there isn’t a lot that people
can do except work to try and help
rehabilitate the land after it has already been
damaged by nature.

22. Impacts of Desertification
> Agricultural production and useable water resources
are depleting.
> Migration of humans and wildlife from the affected
areas is increasing.
> Shortage of food. > Soil erosion
> Drought
> Increase in poverty at local level may occur.

23. Desertification in Pakistan
>Pakistan is situated in warm and dry climatic region
where the annual amount of rainfall is less than 25 cm.
>Arid to semi-arid weather conditions previal in almost
80% area of Pakistan.
> The main cause of desertification in Pakistan is unsafe
and poor ways of cultivation which result in
_soil erosion
_lapse of fertility
_continuous drop in biodiversit

24. Solutions for Desertification
•Rising awareness of the problem
•Planting indigenous trees and shrubs
•Developing sustainable agricultural practices
•Controlled grazing
•Crop rotation (increase fertility & reduce soil erosion)

25. •Proper land management
•Soil and water management
•Introduce proper technologies
•Manage dry land resources
• Tree planting schemes to reduce soil erosion

26. Thank you