DESERTIFICATION THIS PRESENTATION WILL GIVE YOU AN INSIGHT IN THE PROCESS OF DESERTIFICATION AND THE ECOLOGICAL DAMAGE IT CAUSES IN FORMER PRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS.

DESERTIFICATION

THIS PRESENTATION WILL GIVE YOU AN INSIGHT IN THE PROCESS OF DESERTIFICATION AND THE ECOLOGICAL DAMAGE IT CAUSES IN FORMER PRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS. IT WILL ALSO

DISCUSS THE EFFORTS THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO REVERSE THE EFFECT OF DESERTICFICATION.

NIENKE ADAMSE4/14/11

DESERTIFICATION•Most deserts were formed by natural processes over a long time. The transition zones between these deserts and areas that surround them are very fragile balanced ecosystems

• In these areas, human activity may stress the ecosystem in such a way that it results in degradation of formerly productive land- desertification.

What is the cause of desertification? It is a complex process and it involves multiple causes:

POOR LANDMANAGEMENT

• Nomads and their camels have accelerated erosion of land

• Livestock (grazing and trampling of hooves) can cause degradation of semi-arid land

DUST BOWL PERIODParts of the Great Plains in the US turned into the ‘Dust Bowl’ as a result of poor farming techniques combined with a long period of arid conditions

Millions of people were forced to abandon their farms and livelihoods.More than 500.000 American and many Canadian farmers were left homeless. Many people fell ill of dust pneumonia and malnutrition.

The Dust Bowl exodus between 1930 and 1940 was the largest migration in American history in such a short period of time.

BLACK SUNDAY, April 14, 1935After several years of more and more dust storms on the plains that caused the loss of more than a 100 million acres of farmland by losing the topsoil to the winds, the dust cloud that appeared on April 14, 1935, was the worst. The cloud made it so dark that the chickens thought it was night. With winds of 60 mph, seeds and plants were ripped from their roots and cars came to a halt.

What caused these dust storms?

The continuing wave of immigrants, technological improvements and a short return of wet weather, doubled the area of farmland on the Great Plains. Farmers, however, used farming techniques that encouraged erosion. They left fields bare, burned the stubble , used deep plowing, did not rotate the crops which led to a loss of the soils nutrients and increased erosion.

The natural deep rooted grasses that normally kept the soil in place and trapped moisture were replaced by cultivated crops with shallow root systems.

When a severe draught struck the great plains, the dusty and dry topsoil aggregated in the air and formed immense dust clouds, which prevented the so much needed rainfall.

GLOBAL MONITORINGThe monitoring of global processes by satellites (Landsat e.g.) has improved our understanding of desertification.

Landsat pictures of the same area taken several years apart, but during the same time in the growing season, may indicate changes in plant growth and erosion.

Landsat observations together with other land monitoring networks and global data of field observations can help demonstrate the impact of people and animals on the Earth

LOCAL REMEDIESIndividuals and governments can help to reclaim and protect their land: Coverage of areas of sand dunes with boulders, petroleum and shrubs, grass and trees , and placing sand fences will prevent the wind from moving the sand.More efficient use of existing water resourcesControl of salinization (a build up of salts in soil, eventually to toxic levels for plants)Control of surface water run-offProper crop rotationUse of rotating system in grazingWise use of scientific information available on effective intervention of desertification

THE WATER BOXXThis simple devicecan be used forturning ourdeserts greenagain!

With this simpledevice, trees and plants survive in difficult circumstanceswithout using anygroundwater or electricity. The boxcatches rainwater and uses water fromcondensation. It distributes the waterslowly into the soil to the roots of the treewith a cotton thread.

RESTORE DAMAGE OF HUMAN ACTIVITIESThe waterboxx is an artificial copy of how nature solves the problem of water shortage. With the waterboxx, eroded areas including many deserts (mainly caused by human activity) can be restored with little effort and at low cost.This device makes it possible to plant trees or bushes on rocks, on mountains, in gardens, in ashes of recently burned woods, eroded areas or deserts or any other place, without the help of irrigation. In moderate climates this causes 15 to 30% faster growthTests have shown that the trees, after the bucket is removed, continue to survive.This is one of the initials of people to restore the damage they have caused to an ecological system.

References:Desertification. Source retrieved from http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/deserts/desertification/

The Dust Bowl. Source retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_Bowl and http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/water_02.html

The Waterboxx. Information and pictures from slide 10. Retrieved from http://www.groasis.com/page/uk/index.php

Slide 2, picture of desert. Retrieved from:http://test.scoilnet.ie/res/crosswords/hprdesertjcxword.html

Slide 4, picture with life stock and picture of camels. Retrieved fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desertification

Slide 5, picture of dust storm. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_Bowl

Slide 6, picture from Dust Bowl area. Retrieved from http://www.weru.ksu.edu/symposium/dean_slides/slide5.htm

Slide 7, picture from deserts of earth. Retrieved fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Deserts.png

Slide 8, picture of sand fences. Retrieved fromhttp://www.mobi-mat-civil-access-deschamps.com/en/img/photos/mobi-mat_sand-fence.jpg

Slide 11, Vineyard in Israel. Retrieved fromhttp://www.worldofstock.com/stock_photos/BAG1648.php