desertification

American  

[dih-zur-tuh-fi-key-shuhn] / dɪˌzɜr tə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

Also desertization

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.

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desertification British  

/ dɪˌzɜːtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

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

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desertification Scientific  

/ 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.

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Etymology

Origin of desertification

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

Explanation

Desertification is what happens to land when it becomes dried out and is no longer habitable. During the Dust Bowl, a period of massive dust storms in the 1930s, farmland in the Great Plains became barren through desertification. The word desertification is made up of the Latin suffix -ficationem meaning "to make, do" tagged to the end of the word desert. The process of desertification is the process of making or turning an area of land into a desert. This usually happens because of a change in the climate or in the ways in which the land was used. Poor agricultural practices can damage land to the point of desertification.

Example Sentences

Desertification, as this phenomenon is known, is also advancing in other regions, said one of the authors of the study, hydrologist Javier Tomasella.

From Washington Times • Nov. 15, 2023

Desertification is expanding the size of Africa’s Sahel desert region, making it more difficult for pastoralists in West Africa to find grazing lands for their flocks.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

Barron Joseph Orr, lead scientist with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, says wetlands are often resilient ecosystems, but prolonged droughts now pose a growing threat.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2023

Sadhguru has addressed world leaders at the annual meeting of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in Ivory Coast and the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

From Salon • Dec. 11, 2022

The half-day meeting to mark the United Nations’ World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought will be attended by Ibrahim Thiaw, executive secretary of the U.N.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 17, 2022

Related Words

• erosion
• logging