From Mesopotamia to the Nile Valley: Soil Degradation and Desertificati

From Mesopotamia to the Nile vale Soil Degradation and Desertification Desertification has many definitions, encompassing both(prenominal) the physical and social consequences of the transformation of land into desert-like conditions. In all cases, the impacts of homophile activity are indelibly linked to desertification. In 1977, the United Nations multitude on Desertification proposed a definitionDesertification is the diminution or destruction of the biological potential of the land, and can lead ultimately to desert-like conditions. It is an aspect of widespread debasement of ecosystems, and has diminished or destroyed the biological potential, i.e., plant and animal production, for five-fold use purposes at a time when increased productivity is undeniable to support growing populations in quest of development. (Mainguet, 1994, 3)In addition, Monique Mainguet cites Kates et al. (1977) as noting that, conflicting drought, which is usually a short-term diminution of availabl e moisture, the physical processes involved in desertification are long-term, chronic, and pervasive (1994, 2). Mainguet considers soil deterioration as the nearly critical component of land degradation and, in the framework of permanent land degradation, as the main factor of desertification (1994, p. 151). Soil degradation is evince as water and wind erosion, salinization, loss of soil fertility, and soil crushed leather (Dregne, 1985, p. 19). Changes to the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil may bring severe famine to a previous fertile area. Desertification has destroyed past civilizations, such mating Mesopotamia, and is currently degrading vulnerable lands around the world, such as the Nile Valley of Egypt. The most important... ...Hulme, Mike and Kelly, Mick, 1993, Exploring the Links Between Desertification and Climate Change environment (St. Louis), v. 35 6, p. 4-11.Kishk, M. A., 1986, Land Degradation in the Nile Valley Ambio, v. 15, p. 226-230. Mainguet, Monique, 1994, Desertification Natural punctuate and Human Mismanagement unused York, Springer-Verlag, 314 p.Mitchell, D. J. and Fullen, M. A., 1994, Soil-Forming Processes on Reclaimed Desertified Land in North-Central China In Millington, Andrew C., and Pye, Ken, eds., 1994, Environmental Change in Drylands New York, John Wiley and Sons, p. 393-412.Sabadell, J. Eleonora, et al., 1982, Desertification in the United States Washington, D. C., U. S. Government Printing Office, 277 p.Weiss, H., et al., 1993, The Genesis and break in of Third Millennium North Mesopotamian Civilization Science, v. 261, p. 995-1004.