The process by which fertile land becomes desert is called what?

The process by which fertile land becomes desert is called what?

• A. Erosion
• B. Desalinization
• C. Deforestation
• D. Desertification

Answer: (D)

Desertification is the long-term degradation of land in drylands, where productive potential falls and vegetation cover, soil health, and moisture balance decline, making the land increasingly desert-like. It happens when natural dryness is intensified by human actions such as overcultivation, overgrazing, deforestation, and poor irrigation, especially during or after droughts. The land becomes less able to support crops or pasture, soils erode or salinize, and biodiversity and water availability drop. This term fits best because it describes the transformation of fertile land into desert-like conditions, not merely the removal of soil via erosion, the loss of forest cover, or the treatment of water to remove salt.

Desertification is the long-term degradation of land in drylands, where productive potential falls and vegetation cover, soil health, and moisture balance decline, making the land increasingly desert-like. It happens when natural dryness is intensified by human actions such as overcultivation, overgrazing, deforestation, and poor irrigation, especially during or after droughts. The land becomes less able to support crops or pasture, soils erode or salinize, and biodiversity and water availability drop. This term fits best because it describes the transformation of fertile land into desert-like conditions, not merely the removal of soil via erosion, the loss of forest cover, or the treatment of water to remove salt.