In order to know the meaning of the term desertification, it is necessary, in the first place, to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we can state that it comes from Latin and that it is the result of the sum of several parts:
-The prefix “de-”, which indicates “from top to bottom”.
-The verb “serere”, which is synonymous with “intertwine”.
-The verb “facere”, which means “to do”.
-The suffix “-cion”, which is used to indicate “action and effect”.
Desertification is the process and the result of desertification. This verb, for its part, refers to the transformation of a fertile land into a desert. See Abbreviation Finder for acronyms related to Desertification.
In other words, desertification means that a land that allowed abundant production becomes, due to various factors, an arid place, with little or no vegetation. It is therefore an ecological problem.
Desertification implies the degradation of the fertile soil, which gradually loses its productive capacity. This process may be due to erosion, deforestation, over-irrigation, or overexploitation of an aquifer, for example.
The person responsible for desertification is usually man. When uncontrolled cultivation, excessive grazing or deforestation develops on a given piece of land, it is likely that desertification will begin to develop. Over time, this situation can cause problems for obtaining food, since the soil is no longer suitable for cultivation.
In the same way, we can establish that there are other causes of desertification. Thus, for example, among these is a poor use of water and soil. By this we mean that the land is irrigated using what are waters that have salts. This action will cause the soil to become salinized while the vegetation will not grow and its erosion will be greatly favored.
Forest fires and massive felling of trees are, in the same way, other causes of desertification. Thus, for example, the second brings with it the complete deterioration of the cover that is responsible for protecting the natural environment.
Desertification is often a consequence of population growth. As the number of inhabitants grows, there is a trend towards intensive exploitation of the soil to satisfy food needs. This results in the depletion of the land and its subsequent desertification: in the absence of plant cover, the erosion produced by the wind and water advances more quickly.
In addition to these consequences of desertification, we cannot forget others that are also important, such as rural poverty among the population that is dedicated to work related to agriculture and livestock, and even migration. This takes place when the land barely produces and people, especially the youngest, go abroad to find a better future.
According to the level of the drop in agricultural production, desertification can be classified in different ways. The most serious is very severe desertification, when production falls by more than 50% and dry, arid mounds develop on the ground.
