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Agriculture & Environment: Desert science

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Definitions

List of terms for Desert science

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Sahel

The semi-arid African region that lies south of the Sahara Desert, and stretches from Senegal to Somalia.

Salinisation

The accumulation of large quantities of mineral salts in soils. Salinisation affects land productivity and leads to a decrease in water quality.

Semi-arid lands

Semi-arid lands are places which are dry, but contain enough moisture to be able to sustain limited vegetation.

Soil erosion

Dryland soils are vulnerable to degradation. New soils form very slowly and salts tend to build up because of infrequent rains. Moreover, sparse topsoil can be blown away by winds or by rains when they do come. The world loses an estimated 24 billion tonnes of topsoil every year. This decline, in turn, means that land is unable to hold water, which contributes to runoff and flooding.

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