How do droughts affect forests?
Drought affects trees directly by slowing or arresting growth, and causing injury or death. It also affects them indirectly, by increasing their susceptibility to wildfire, insect pests and disease. Under drought conditions, plants may close the stomata in their leaves to limit transpiration and thereby conserve water.
How does deforestation affect the ecosystem?
The loss of trees and other vegetation can cause climate change, desertification, soil erosion, fewer crops, flooding, increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and a host of problems for indigenous people.
What are the 5 causes of desertification?
Various Causes of Desertification
- Overgrazing.
- Deforestation.
- Farming Practices.
- Excessive Use of Fertilizers and Pesticides.
- Overdrafting of groundwater.
- Urbanization and Other Types of Land Development.
- Climate Change.
- Stripping the Land of Resources.
What are the impacts of desertification in the Sahel?
The effects of desertification In 2014 the UN stated that 20million people in the Sahel region of Africa faced hunger and required $2 billion in food aid due to desertification. The loss of vegetation can cause severe soil erosion. The nutrients in the soil get washed or leached away leaving soil infertile.
What impact does desertification have on the economy?
Desertification mostly affects rural households who are forced to depend on natural resources for their livelihoods. More so, drought and desertification lead to the migration of people to urban or other areas to engage in economic activities such as farming, grazing and fishing.
What are the causes and consequences of droughts?
A drought is caused by drier than normal conditions that can eventually lead to water supply problems. Really hot temperatures can make a drought worse by causing moisture to evaporate from the soil. Just because a region is hot and dry doesn’t necessarily mean it is going through a drought.
How does drought and desertification affect the economy?
Secondly, continuing droughts could force up the country’s import bill. Declining agricultural production could lead to shortages of some food items like maize, wheat and some protein sources such as meat and eggs. This could, in turn, force South Africa to import more.