Desertification in Africa

Desertification in Africa

Desertification is the conversion of grassland into desert because of human action and climate change. The Sahel is an example of desertification. Before the Sahel came in contact with desertification, it was a grassland and savanna with areas of woodland and shrubland. Grass cover was fairly continuous across the region, dominated by a variety of grass species. Since then rainfall has decreased a lot since the 1970s.The climate changed caused desertification in the Sahel. Now, people from the government teach farmers how to farm as eco-friendly and efficiently as possible. In the Sahel, amount of farmers harvest per year decreased to 1/7 compared to the amount farmers harvested 40 years ago. Desert covers 6.1 billion hectares of Earth and only 1 billion hectares shows how human actions caused desertification.

Causes of Desertification;

Desertification: When the trees are cut down, sunlight and wind will be in direct contact to the soil is dried by the sunlight wind blows it away.

Overgrazing: Cattles eat up all the remaining grass and it give no chance for grass to re-grow.

Intensive Farming: Gives no chance for the soil to recover because the farmer keeps on planting vegetables all the time.

Effects of Desertification:

Poor Farming (slash-and-burn): Causes big problems because fires takes the moisture away from the soil.

Soil becomes less usable: The soil can be blown away by wind or washed away rain. Nutrients in the soil can be removed by wind or water. Salt can build up in the soil which makes it harder for plant growth.

Vegetation is Lacked or Damaged

Loosened soil may bury plants or leave their roots exposed.