desertification

[ dih-zur-tuh-fi-key-shuhn ]

noun

Ecology.

1. the processes by which an area becomes a desert.
2. the rapid depletion of plant life and the loss of topsoil at desert boundaries and in semiarid regions, caused mostly by a combination of drought and such human practices as deforestation and unsustainable agriculture, the effects of which are exacerbated by climate change.

desertification

/ dɪˌzɜːtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. a process by which fertile land turns into barren land or desert

desertification

/ dĭ-zûr′tə-fĭ-kā′shən /

1. The transformation of land once suitable for agriculture into desert. Desertification can result from climate change or from human practices such as deforestation and overgrazing.

Word History and Origins

Origin of desertification¹

First recorded in 1970–75; desert ¹ + -i- + -fication

Related Words

• erosion
• logging