Solutions To Desertification

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  • Created by: Debbie
  • Created on: 09-04-13 10:44

Solutions To Desertification

  • Crop Rotation and Fallow Periods: Growing different crops each year, so different nutrients are used and to allow periods of rest (fallow periods) so that soil can regain its fertility.
  • Shelter Belts: Shelter belts (sometimes called wind breaks) are areas of forest or hedge that are left untouched to protect farmland from the affects of water and wind erosion. Shelter belts will often appear around the outside of fields.
  • Reforestation and Afforestation: By reforesting or afforesting areas you can help return land to its natural state, making it more fertile and stable, thus reducing wind and water erosion and ultimately land degradation.
  • Irrigation: It is possible to water areas of land that have become arid to try and improve the productivity of the soil. However, if water is not used sustainably then irrigation can cause water shortages and land degradation elsewhere.
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Solutions To Desertification

  • Grazing Quotas: Placing limits on the number and types of animals that can graze on land, reducing the destruction of vegetation and eventual desertification.
  • Population Control: The main reason we are putting more pressure on the earth's resources (including soil) is because the world's population has reached 7 billion and is still growing rapidly. If we can control population growth then we can limit the amount of agricultural land we need and the intensity of our farming.
  • GM Crops: GM stands for genetically modified. GM crops can be engineered to withstand poor soil and water shortages. By growing some types of vegetation you maybe able to add nutrients back to the soil. However, it might it encourage people to farm on unsuitable land causing even further land degradation.
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