Process of fertile land becoming unproductive in nearly dry areas.
Desertification occurs when fertile land becomes arid.
What is Desertification
As the answer choice says, desertification is when fertile land becomes unproductive. The land that was once fertile then becomes a desert as vegetation can no longer grow. This means that the ground becomes very dry and almost sand-like, hence the name desertification.
Desertification is considered a form of soil degradation. This means that desertification happens when the soil becomes too dry or loses too many nutrients. There are multiple causes for this.
Causes of Desertification
A leading cause of desertification is drought. If land does not get enough rain, then it will dry out and become arid. Carbon emissions and global warming have decreased global rainfall and thus increased the rate of desertification across the world.
Overfarming is also a big cause of desertification. Fertile soil has limited nutrients, which are used by plants that grow in the soil. Usually, the soil has enough time to replenish the nutrients before more plants are grown. However, due to overfarming in some areas, the soil's nutrients are used faster than they can replenish. This causes the soil to lose its fertility and leads to desertification.
