desertification[精].docVIP

causes Dryland ecosystems are already very fragile, and can rarely sustain the increased pressures that result from intense population growth. Many of these areas are inappropriately opened to development, when they cannot sustain human settlements.[16] The most common cause of desertification is the over cultivation of desert lands.[17] Over-cultivation causes the nutrients in the soil to be depleted faster than they are restored. Improper irrigation practices result in salinated soils, and depletion of aquifers.[16] Vegetation plays a major role in determining the biological composition of the soil. Studies have shown that, in many environments, the rate of erosion and runoff decreases exponentially with increased vegetation cover.[18] Overgrazing removes this vegetation causing erosion and loss of topsoil.[16] Countermeasures and prevention Techniques exist for mitigating减轻 or reversing the effects of desertification, however there are numerous barriers to their implementation实现. One of these is that the costs of adopting sustainable 可持续agricultural practices sometimes exceed the benefits for individual farmers, even while they are socially and environmentally beneficial.[citation needed] Another issue is a lack of political will, and lack of funding to support land reclamation and anti-desertification programs.[23] Desertification is recognized as a major threat to biodiversity. Some countries have developed Biodiversity Action Plans to counter its effects, particularly in relation to the protection of endangered flora 植物群and fauna.动物群[24][25] Reforestation gets at one of the root causes of desertification and isnt just a treatment of the symptoms. Environmental organizations[26] work in places where deforestation and desertification are contributing to extreme poverty. There they focus primarily on educating the local population about the dangers of deforestation and sometimes employ them to grow seedlings, which they transfer to severely deforested areas durin