Glossary
- Adaptation:
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Changes made by organisms, including humans, to enable them to be more suitable for different conditions or situations.
- Desertification:
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The gradual degradation of habitable land which affects soils, flora, and fauna and reduces productivity and an ecosystem’s ability to adapt. It is caused by various factors, including natural dynamics, climatic condition, and human activities. Direct causes of desertification include wind and water erosion, deforestation, overgrazing, land conversion to crop land, irrigation leading to salinization, and other physical stressors leading to soil loss, soil compaction, loss of vegetative cover, loss of biodiversity, and degradation in ecosystem productivity. Indirect causes include climate variation, poverty, political instability, lack of education, or a combination of factors.
- Drought:
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A period of reduced precipitation resulting in prolonged shortages in the water supply. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem,...
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Mouat, D., Thomas, S., Lancaster, J. (2018). Desertification and Impact on Sustainability of Human Systems. In: Meyers, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2493-6_268-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2493-6_268-3
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