Barrons AP Environmental Science

(Marvins-Underground-K-12) #1

  1. (C) Drylands occupy approximately 40% of Earth’s land area and are home
    to more than 2 billion people, and it has been estimated that some 10%–20%
    of drylands are already degraded. Desertification is the degradation of land
    in any dryland. It is caused by a variety of factors, such as climate change
    and human activities. The most common cause of desertification is the
    overcultivation of desert lands which causes the nutrients in the soil to be
    depleted faster than they are restored. Furthermore, improper irrigation
    practices result in salinated soils and the depletion of aquifers.

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