The process by which fertile land becomes a desert is called what?

The process by which fertile land becomes a desert is called what?

• A. Erosion
• B. Deforestation
• C. Salinization
• D. Desertification

Answer: (D)

Desertification is the process by which fertile land in drylands becomes desert-like as its productive capacity declines. It happens when climate factors such as drought combine with human activities like overgrazing, deforestation, overcultivation, and inefficient irrigation, which erode soil, remove vegetation, and cause salinization and crusting. The result is poorer soil structure, reduced water infiltration, more erosion and runoff, and a shift toward arid conditions that cannot support crops or livestock as well as before. Erosion, deforestation, and salinization describe parts of the process, but desertification is the broader transformation of land into desert-like conditions.

Desertification is the process by which fertile land in drylands becomes desert-like as its productive capacity declines. It happens when climate factors such as drought combine with human activities like overgrazing, deforestation, overcultivation, and inefficient irrigation, which erode soil, remove vegetation, and cause salinization and crusting. The result is poorer soil structure, reduced water infiltration, more erosion and runoff, and a shift toward arid conditions that cannot support crops or livestock as well as before. Erosion, deforestation, and salinization describe parts of the process, but desertification is the broader transformation of land into desert-like conditions.