desertification

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

/ dɪˌzɜr tə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

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See synonyms for desertification on Thesaurus.com

noun Ecology.

the processes by which an area becomes a desert.

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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Also des·ert·i·za·tion

[dez-er-tuh-zey-shuhn] /ˌdɛz ər təˈzeɪ ʃən/ .

Compare aridification.

Origin of desertification

First recorded in 1970–75; desert¹ + -i- + -fication

Words nearby desertification

deserted, desert elephant, deserter, desert fathers, deserticolous, desertification, desert iguana, desertion, desert island, desert locust, desert lynx

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use desertification in a sentence

Efforts to stop desertification—the process by which fertile land becomes desert—have been primarily focused on expensive manual solutions.
A desert robot depicts AI’s vast opportunities|Baidu|December 27, 2021|MIT Technology Review
At his office, he showed me a series of maps that document China’s elevation, watersheds, flood paths, biodiversity, desertification, ecological security, soil erosion, and cultural heritage.
The architect making friends with flooding|Erica Gies|December 21, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Impacts of climate change fueled in part by Soviet industrial development are already visible around Russia, from permafrost degradation to desertification in the agriculture-heavy southern reaches of the country.
The Soviets turned the Volga River into a machine. Then the machine broke.|Olga Dobrovidova|December 15, 2021|MIT Technology Review
After the separation of South Sudan, a third of the country is a desert right now, and desertification is moving very fast.
Voices from around the world on what’s at stake at COP26|Brady Dennis, Sarah Kaplan, William Booth, Samantha Schmidt|October 28, 2021|Washington Post

Deeper root systems bolstered soil health, and expanded tree cover cut down on wind and water erosion, halting desertification.
Mixing trees and crops can help both farmers and the climate|Jonathan Lambert|July 14, 2021|Science News
The Sahel has been degraded by human use, not natural desertification; the natural process has been the reverse.
The Upside to Global Warming|Stefan Theil|August 26, 2011|DAILY BEAST
So why do we invariably connect higher temperatures with droughts and desertification?
The Upside to Global Warming|Stefan Theil|August 26, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The presence of a nearby desert has no direct relationship to desertification.
Deserts|A. S. Walker
Desertification does not occur in linear, easily mappable patterns.
Deserts|A. S. Walker
Desertification may intensify a general climatic trend toward greater aridity, or it may initiate a change in local climate.
Deserts|A. S. Walker
This degradation of formerly productive land—desertification—is a complex process.
Deserts|A. S. Walker
Unfortunately, an area undergoing desertification is brought to public attention only after the process is well underway.
Deserts|A. S. Walker

British Dictionary definitions for desertification

desertification

/ (dɪˌzɜːtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən) /

noun

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for desertification

desertification

[ dĭ-zûr′tə-fĭ-kā′shən ]

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.

desertification

Origin of desertification

Words nearby desertification

Words related to desertification

How to use desertification in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for desertification

Scientific definitions for desertification