Desertification in Africa

Aubin F.

    What is my research topic? What are keywords I used to research?

• My topic is: Desertification
• Keywords: Desertification, Desert, Overgrazing,

    What does Desertification mean? What is it's description?

• Desertification (noun): the change of arable land into a desert from natural or human activity.
• the rapid depletion of plant life and the loss of topsoil at desert boundaries and in semiarid regions.
• It is usually caused by a combination of drought and the trampling of grasses and other plants.
• The transformation of arable or habitable land to desert, as by a change in climate or destructive land use.
  

    Why is Desertification important to Africa?

• It has been said that in Africa, people wish Desertification never existed.
• "It does nothing but ruin there lives!", quotes Dr. Steve Romant, a landscape photographer.
• To most people desertification causes sickness.
• Others believe that sand is the main cause of death.

    Why is Desertification a problem or issue in Africa?

• Desertification has several affects.
• It causes a decline in pasture vegetation and palatable grass species.
• Desertification also replaces perennials with small species that do not hold soil against erosion.
• It compacts soil under trampling hoofs.
• And destabilizes dunes when crest vegetation is eaten.

    How does desertification effect the people of Africa?

• Desertification affects all sorts of people in Africa: children, adults, and all farmers.
• The farmers are claimed to have more trouble than others.
• They do lose much including livestock, crops, and other resources being destroyed by the barren land.

    What does the rest of the world think about desertification, and what is its global affect?

• Though you may not know it, desertification isn't only a problem in Africa, it affects us too.
• Almost 19% of desertification affects the U.S., and 31% percent of it affects North America alone!
• South America is affected by 32%, most of which occurs in North Brazil.
• The other 37% is along the heart of Africa.

    What can be done to help the problem of desertification in Africa?

• Scientist believe that improving certain farming methods will help keep livestock away from the crops.
• In this case, the livestock will have  food to keep them from overgrazing on the farmland.

    What is being done to correct this?

• Most methods have already started improving.
• Some of these are gardens being planted upon raised hills to keep sand from 'drowning' their crops.
• Others believe that the solution to keep sand away to dig a sand pit around their garden.

    What is my personal opinion of desertification?

• Desertification is just another burden I wish had never been placed upon the world.
• It affects us just as much as those in Africa. (question 6)
• I do as much as I can to try and reduce it.
• This involves making fertile soil out of composted goods.
• Composting things such as eggshells, banana&orange peels, coffee filters&grinds and many more organic goods provide a rich natural soil that give plants the nutrients needed.

    Bibliography and Works Cited

This webpage was created for educational purposes By: Aubin FitzGerald

Made on: Thursday, March 20, 2008 02:02 PM

Mrs. Jaubert-Smith's 6th grade PRE-AP Social Studies Class

Georgetown, Texas