Forests, Desertification and Biodiversity

Major difficulties to sustainable development are posed by deforestation and desertification, which are caused by human activities and climate change. These issues have already had an impact on the lives and means of subsistence of millions of people. The preservation of forests is critical to the continuation of life on Earth and is also an essential component in the fight against climate change. And investments in land restoration are essential for increasing people’s standard of living, lowering their susceptibilities, and lowering the hazards that the economy faces.The state of our planet also plays a significant part in the development of zoonotic illnesses, which are diseases that can be passed from animals to people and vice versa. Because of human activity, humans are coming into ever-greater contact with wildlife. This makes it possible for diseases that are found in wildlife to spread to livestock and humans, which in turn raises the risk of disease onset and amplification.

The effects of desertification on biosphere

The United Nations, which has been working to combat desertification since 1994, describes it as the process of land degradation that occurs in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid regions as a consequence of a variety of environmental and human factors. 

These issues have only multiplied as a result of climate change, which is now recognised as one of the most significant environmental challenges facing the planet.

The Sahara desert, which is currently the largest desert in the world, was once a meadow covered with plants around 6,000 years ago. 

This region of the globe, which was once an orchard, has been transformed into a sandy desert where absolutely nothing can grow as a result of the oscillations of the Earth’s axis.

 In that case, we speak of a process of natural desertification, which is in contrast to what is happening right now:

 large areas of the planet are being desertified at an accelerated rate as a result of human activity and climate change. 

The United Nations estimates that more than 24 billion tonnes of productive soil are lost every single year. 

In point of fact, right now, two-thirds of the planet is going through a process known as desertification, and if nothing is done, by the year 2050, 

1.5 million km2 of agricultural land, which is an area equivalent to the entire arable land of India, will be lost. 

This land is necessary for preserving biodiversity and feeding the population, but it will be lost if no action is taken.

The damaging effects of desertification on biodiversity

Desertification is linked to the decline of biodiversity and is a contributor to the warming of the global climate through the reduction of the land’s capacity to store carbon and the enhancement of the albedo of its surface.

Desertification has a negative impact on biological diversity, which is important because it is engaged in the majority of the services that dryland ecosystems provide. 

Most notably, vegetation and the variety of its physical structures play a vital role in the preservation of soil as well as the control of rainfall infiltration, surface runoff, and the climate of a particular area.

To contribute to the formation of soil and the cycling of nutrients, many plant species produce litter that varies in both its physical and chemical properties. 

This litter is then broken down by a wide community of microbes, macrobes, and other decomposers.

Causes of Desertification

• Overgrazing

Animal grazing is a significant contributor to the development of desert biomes in many ecosystems across the world.

When there are an excessive number of animals that graze in one area for an extended period of time, it makes it harder for the plants to grow again. 

This has a negative impact on the biome and causes it to lose its former verdant splendour.

•  Deforestation

When people are trying to move into an area, or when they need trees in order to create houses and complete other jobs, then they are adding to the problems that are associated with desertification. 

The other components of the biome are unable to function properly if the plants, and notably the trees, are absent.

• Methods Used in Farming

Some farmers are not familiar with how to make the best use of their land. 

Before going on to another piece of land, they can clear the land completely of all that it contains. 

The land that is being farmed is at an increased risk of becoming desertified because agricultural practices deplete the soil of its natural nutrients.

•  The Unhealthy and Uncontrolled Use of Fertilisers and Pesticides

When farmers try to increase their crop yields as quickly as possible, they frequently end up doing considerable damage to the soil as a result of using excessive amounts of fertilisers and pesticides.

• The excessive pumping of groundwater

Freshwater that is found underground is referred to as groundwater, and it is one of the major sources of water.

 Pumping or the excessive drawing up of groundwater from underground aquifers is referred to as over drafting.

 Over drafting is the process that occurs when groundwater is drawn in excess of the equilibrium yield of the aquifer that is being pumped. 

Its depletion causes desertification.

• The Changing Climate

Desertification is mostly attributable to the effects of climate change. 

Desertification is getting closer and 

closer to being a reality as the temperatures continue to rise and the number of dry spells that occur increases.

Conclusion

These elements, when combined, produce a climate that is warmer and drier than normal, which may lead to desertification. Desertification is the process by which previously fertile land is transformed into desert. Desertification can also be caused by factors other than the loss of forest cover. It is possible for land to become parched and unproductive as a result of drought, changes in the environment, or intensive farming or grazing operations.The disappearance of vegetation in the region can be attributed to all of these factors, as well as to deforestation. If there is no vegetation, the soil will erode more quickly, and water will have a harder time being absorbed into the ground. The moisture in the soil evaporates, and the groundwater reserves are not replaced. The soil dries out. The land is left unproductive and sterile, and there is nothing to do there but let it roast in the scorching sun.