Natural Resources

Natural resources (economically referred to as land or raw materials) are naturally forming substances that are considered valuable in their relatively unmodified (natural) form. A natural resource’s value rests in the amount and extractability of the material available and the demand for it. The latter is determined by its usefulness to production. A commodity is generally considered a natural resource when the primary activities associated with it are extraction and purification, as opposed to creation.

Thus, mining, petroleum extraction, fishing, hunting, and forestry are generally considered natural-resource industries, while agriculture is not. The term was introduced to a broad audience by E. F. Schumacher in his 1973 book Small is Beautiful.  The term is defined by the United States Geological Survey as “The Nation’s natural resources include its minerals, energy, land, water, and biota.”

Natural resources are mostly classified into renewable and non-renewable resources. Sometimes resources are classified as non-renewable even if they are technically renewable, just not easily renewed within a reasonable amount of time, such as fossil fuels.

Some non-renewable resources can be renewable but take an extremely long time to renew. Fossil fuels, for example, take millions of years to form and so are not practically considered ‘renewable’. Different non-renewable resources like oil, coal, natural gas etc. have different levels of demand from different sectors like transportation and residences with each resource specializing for each sector. Many environmentalists propose a tax on consumption of non renewable resources. Non-renewable resources cannot be replaced or can only be replaced over thousands or millions of years.

Natural resources are natural capital converted to commodity inputs to infrastructural capital processes.  They include soil, timber, oil, minerals, and other goods harvested from the Earth. Both extraction of the basic resource and refining it into a purer, directly usable form, (e. g. , metals, refined oils) are generally considered natural-resource activities, even though the latter may not necessarily occur near the former.

This process generates high profits due to the high demand for the natural resources and the energies that they are able to generate. A nation’s natural resources often determine its wealth in the world economic system and its diplomatic, military, and political influence. Developed nations are those which are less dependent on natural resources for wealth, due to their greater reliance on infrastructural capital for production. However, some see a resource curse whereby easily obtainable natural resources could actually hurt the prospects of a national economy by fostering political corruption.

Political corruption can negatively impact the national economy because time is spent giving bribes or other economically unproductive acts instead of the generation of generative economic activity. This has been seen over the years with legislation passed to appease companies who will benefit. There also tends to be concentrations of ownership over specific plots of land that have proven to yield natural resources. In recent years, the depletion of natural capital and attempts to move to sustainable development have been a major focus of development agencies.

This is of particular concern in rainforest regions, which hold most of the Earth’s natural biodiversity – irreplaceable genetic natural capital. Conservation of natural resources is the major focus of natural capitalism, environmentalism, the ecology movement, and green politics. Some view this depletion as a major source of social unrest and conflicts in developing nations. Types of resources Natural Resources Natural resources are derived from the environment. Many of them are essential for our survival while others are used for satisfying our wants.

Natural resources may be further classified in different ways. On the basis of origin, resources may be divided into:

• Biotic – Biotic resources are the ones which are obtained from the biosphere. Forests and their products, animals, birds and their products, fish and other marine organisms are important examples. Minerals such as coal and petroleum are also included in this category because they were formed from decayed organic matter.
• Abiotic – Abiotic resources comprise of non-living things. Examples include land, water, air and minerals such as gold, iron, copper, silver etc.

On the basis of the stage of development, natural resources may be called:

• Potential Resources – Potential resources are those which exist in a region and may be used in the future. For example, mineral oil may exist in many parts of India having sedimentary rocks but till the time it is actually drilled out and put into use, it remains a potential resource.
• Actual Resources are those which have been surveyed, their quantity and quality determined and are being used in present times. For example, the petroleum and the natural gas which is obtained from the Bombay High Fields.

Plate tectonics are responsible for many of Earth’s natural occurrences. From volcanoes to earthquakes plate tectonics play are large role. Another natural occurrence that is not is discussed as much as volcanoes and earthquakes is the formation of sedimentary rock. Plate tectonics also plays a major role in the formation of this type of rock. Plate tectonics is a term that is used to describe how the different plates that make up the Earth move and the reactions that occur as they are moving. Before explaining how plate tectonics are related the concept of sediments must be understood.

Sediments are pieces of solid material are deposited on Earth’s surface by way of wind, water, ice, gravity or chemical precipitation. This occurs through weather and erosion (McClearly, 2005). As convergent plates move towards each other, one plate is subducted under the other plate and as this is occurring the plates are moving accumulated sediment and rocks with them. Divergent boundaries also have an effect on sedimentary rock. In divergent movement the plates are moving away from each other and the young sedimentary rock is pushed to the open boundary (Ryan, 2008).

Sedimentary rock actually originates from the disposition of the sediments after they are moved by the movement of plates. The climate controls how sediments are moved and how the rock weather. After weathering and erosion has occurred the sediments stop moving and settle. Where they settle is known as their disposition. The origination of sedimentary work is a combination of natural processes that result in the disposition of sediment. The way the sediment is actually formed is a process known as Lithification.

Lithification is physical and chemical processes which loose sediment is transformed into sedimentary rock. Lithification begins with compaction. The weight of sediments on top of other sediments forces the sediment grains closer together, which results in physical changes. The next process that occurs is through a chemical process known as cementation. Cementation occurs when mineral growth, in combination with high temperatures, cement sediment grains together into solid rock (McClearly, 2008). After sedimentary rock is formed then it is organized on the Earth’s surface.

The pattern of organization is known as bedding. Bedding is the layered arrangement of strata in a group of sediment or sedimentary rock. Over time strata’s that are adjacent to each other may look different because the mineral composition of the sediments in a specific location may changes or the way the sediments are transported or deposited may be different. The bedding surface, which is the boundary between adjacent strata, is the indication that rock was once sediment. Once sediments have been formed they are classified into three different categories.

The first is clastic sedimentary rock. These rocks are formed from the sediment and debris from weathering and erosion. There are four different types of clastic, conglomerate (gravel), sandstone (sand),siltstone (silt), and mudstone (mud) or shale. These four categories are characterized by the size of their particles. The next category of sedimentary rock is chemical sedimentary rock. These rocks are formed by precipitation of minerals dissolved in lakes, rivers or sea water. This precipitation can occur is two ways.

The first is plants and animals living in water can alter the chemical balance of the water which has an effect on the sediments. The second way is the evaporation of fresh water because of warm dry climates, which leads to increased salinity, the salts become solid because they are not dissolving. The last category of sedimentary rock is biogenic sedimentary rock. These rocks are formed from sediments that are primarily composed of plant and animal remains. This can include the hard shells of animals as well as the bones and teeth.

From plants this can include fragments of plant matter such as roots, wood and leaves (Murck, Skinner, Mackenzie, 2008). Since there are three categories of sedimentary rock differentiating in the three is important. One way to tell the difference in the rock is the physical characteristics or physical location. Clastic rock is in the form of gravel, sand, slit or mud, which are all easily recognizable. Chemical sedimentary rock will be located in areas with water such as seas and lakes, since the chemical process which creates these rocks are done inside of water.

Biogenic sedimentary rock is easily recognizable because these rocks will have pieces of animal or plant matter in them. Fossils can be carved out of these types of sedimentary rock (McClearly, 2005). Sedimentary rock is one type of rock that is located all over the world. From mountains to oceans sedimentary rocks can be found. With the combination of plate tectonics, weather and erosion sedimentary rocks are formed. Clastic, chemical and biogenic rocks are all very different but together they make up the category of sedimentary rocks.

Sedimentary rocks in Pakistan range in age from Precambrian to Miocene i. e from oldest to youngest on the geological time scale form 542 million years to latest. Luckily for geoscientists all of them are exposed in different parts of the country. Lithologically they constitute sandstone, limestone, shale and mixed lithologies of them all. These rocks are exposed all along the mountain ranges from Islamabad in north to Karachi in the south. Igneous rocks are exposed north of Peshawar or only at Nagarparker in the southeastern corner of the country.

You better study ‘Stratigraphy and historical geology of Pakistan’ by Kazmi and Abbasi (2008), which will provide you a full knowledge about the rocks in Pakistan. ‘Geology and tectonics of Pakistan’ by Kazmi and Jan (1997) also gives details of distribution of ores and minerals in different parts of the country. Names [de] Mergel [en] marl Description Marl is a sedimentary rock made of clay and limestone, which belongs to the family of pelitic rocks (clays <0. 02 mm, the fine particles in water sales) and a carbonate is a variety of mudstone. The rocks can be both clastic and chemical-biogenic origin.

The carbonate can be washed in as detritus, often goes back to the carbonate skeletons of plankton or biochemically precipitated calcite. On the seabed to collect layers of calcite and clay sediments, which are becoming more powerful over time and compacted by the weight of younger sediments onlay. Furthermore, responding in the sediment pore solution with the mineral matter and the sediment is gradually changing into a rock. The trivial term ruin marble (also landscape marble) refers to limestone and marl (as calcitic overprinted mud stones). Color reen, brown, beige and gray – grayish white Grain Size very fine grained sandstone are deposit in southern California Igneous Rock Igneous rocks are formed when molten rock (magma) cools and solidifies, with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive (plutonic) rocks or on the surface as extrusive (volcanic) rocks. This magma can be derived from either the Earth’s mantle or pre-existing rocks made molten by extreme temperature and pressure changes. Over 700 types of igneous rocks have been described, most of them formed beneath the surface of the Earth’s crust.

The word “igneous” is derived from the Latin ignis, meaning “fireGujarat has vast resources of marble in Banaskantha. Bharuch. Vadodara. Kaclichh and Panchmahal … In Uttarakhand. thick impersistent bands of white marble occur inBasalt is a very common igneous rock. In fact it is the most common rock in the Earth’s crust. Almost all oceanic crust is made of basalt and basalt is a common extrusion from many volcanic regions around the world. It forms from the melting of the upper mantle and its chemistry closely resembles the upper mantle’s composition.

It is generally silica poor and iron and magnesium rich. Basalt originates from “hot spot” volcanoes, massive basalt flows and mid oceanic ridges. Uses of Basalt Basalt is used for a wide variety of purposes. It is most commonly crushed for use as an aggregate in construction projects. Crushed basalt is used for road base, concrete aggregate, asphalt pavement aggregate, railroad ballast, filter stone in drain fields and may other purposes. Basalt is also cut into dimension stone. Thin slabs of basalt are cut and sometimes polished for use as floor tiles, building veneer, monuments and other stone objects.

Rock Salt? Rock Salt is a chemical sedimentary rock that forms from the evaporation of ocean or saline lake waters. It is also known by the mineral name “halite”. It is rarely found at Earth’s surface, except in areas of very arid climate. It is often mined for use in the chemical industry or for use as a winter highway treatment. Some halite is processed for use as a seasoning for food. Rock Salt: The specimen shown is about two inches (five centimeters) across. | | | | | | Minerals Marl nearly consists of equal numbers clays and calcite or dolomite.

Furthermore quartz, mica, pyrite and gypsum may be present. Occurences Marl occurs worldwide, the variety ruin marble in Italy (near Florence), Austria, Czech Republic and Pakistan. SEDIMENTARY ROCKS Broader Terms carbonate sedimentary rocks Narrower Terms Austria-marl France-marl Germany-marl Italy-marl Dolomite Dolomite was first described by the French mineralogist Deodat de Dolomieu in 1791 from its occurrence in a range of the southern Alps. The rock was given the name dolomite by de Saussure, and today the mountains themselves are called the Dolomites.

What Dolomieu noticed was that dolomite looks like limestone, but unlike limestone it does not bubble when treated with weak acid. The mineral responsible is also called dolomite. Dolomite is very significant in the petroleum business because it forms underground by the alteration of calcite limestone. This chemical change is marked by a reduction in volume and by recrystallization, which combine to produce open space (porosity) in the rock strata. Porosity creates avenues for oil to travel and reservoirs for oil to collect.

Naturally, this alteration of limestone is called dolomitization, and the reverse alteration is called dedolomitization. Both are still somewhat mysterious problems in sedimentary geology. The most commonly found Sedimentary rocks are, Limestone, Sandstone, Shale, Mudstone, Siltstone, Marlstone and Claystone. These rocks are found in Kirthar Range, Sulaiman Range, Makran range, Bhitanni Range, Pab Range, Salt range and many other places of Balochistan province and NWFP and Kashmir. Igneous rocks are found in Chagai volcanic arch and magmetic belt (Balochistan bordering Iran and Afghanistan).

Metamorphic and igneous rocks are also found in the Karakoram Himalayan Crystalline belt (northern part of Pakistan including Swat, Hazara, Kaghan valley, Attock, Khyber area, Mingora, Kashmir, Chitral, Gilgit and Hunza valley. Granite of Igneous origin is also found in the southeastern corner of Pakistan, in Nagarparker area. Sandstone And Quartzite Physical Properties| Chemical Properties| Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed essentially of quartz grains cemented by siliceous, felspathic, calcareous cementing matters. The durability and strength of these rocks depend on the cementing material.

The best quality sandstone, for building purpose, should be of fine grain and uniform texture. The colour of the sandstone may be either white, grey, yellow, buff, brown or red Sandstone is the youngest of the quartz-based stones, which eventually turns into quartzite as the sandstone is subjected to heat and pressure. Textures within the sandstone layers such as cross-bedding, ripple marks, and mud cracks, are clues to the origin of the layers as shallow, inter-tidal or delta sediments. The colors of sandstone depend on the mineral contents and impurities in the sand.

Generally, the sandstone is available in red, beige, pink, green, grey, brown, yellow, mint, teak, and in rainbow color. Uses Sandstone was a common building material for larger structures, before reinforced concrete came into use in the middle of late 1800’s. Nevertheless, it is still put into various purposes such as for flooring or as paving materials since they are dug out from the ground in individual layers. Some sandstone is honed for a smoother finish and used for both interior and exterior applications. It is also used as flagstone for residential applications. Quartzite is a metamorphic rock consisting of compact siliceous matter.

It is formed from sandstone that after metamorphism alters to quartzite. Quartzite is used mainly as a building stone and as road metal. Fine grained compact quartzite is found in Gurgaon district of Haryana and is considerably used as a building stone. Rajasthan is the largest state that produces quartzite. Different quarries produce slabs and titles measuring 30 to 60 cm in width and 2 to 3 m in length Since most of these stones are taken from the ground in individual layers, they are typically used as flooring or paving materials. Most flagstone used in residential applications is sandstone.

Most sandstones and quartzite have a “natural cleft” finish, meaning the finished surface is the way the stone came out of the ground. Some sandstones are honed for a smoother finish. Most sandstones are suitable for both interior and exterior application. The colors of sandstone, depending on the cements and impurities in the sand, are red, beige, pink, green, gray, brown, yellow, mint, teak, rainbow. The quartzite comes in black and white colors only. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES| Color| Minor color tonal variations exist but within the tolerance limit. | Hardness| 6 to 7 on Moh’s Scale Density 2. 32 to 2. 2 Kg/m3| Compressive Strength| 365 to 460 Kg/m2| Water Absorption| Not more than 1. 0 %| Modulus of Rupture| 197-200 Kg/cm2| Porosity| Low to very low. | Weather Impact| Resistant| CHEMICAL PROPERTIES| Chemically they are very resistant Mono-Mineralic rocks, principally of silica. | SiO2| 93-94%| Iron (Fe2O3)| 1. 5%-1. 6%| Alumina (Al2O3)| 1. 4 to 1. 5%| Soda (Na2O) ; Potash (Kro)| 1. 0% to 1. 2%| Lime (CaO)| 0. 8% to 0. 9%| Magnesia (MgO)| 0. 2 to 0. 25%| Loss On Ignition (LOI)| 1. 0% to 1. 2%. | They are highly resistant to avoids, alkalis and thermal impact. Insolubility in acids and alkalis is about 97%. |

Breccia Breccia is a term most often used for clastic sedimentary rocks that are composed of large angular fragments (over two millimeters in diameter). The spaces between the large angular fragments can be filled with a matrix of smaller particles or a mineral cement that binds the rock together. Uses The rock, breccia, has very few uses. However, the word “breccia” is used as a trade name for a group of dimension stone products with a broken, angular pattern. Names such as “Breccia Oniciata”, “Breccia Pernice” and “Breccia Damascata” are cut and polished limestones and marbles that reveal a broken, angular pattern.

Marble Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that is produced from the metamorphism of limestone. It is composed primarily of calcium carbonate. What is Hornfels? Hornfels is a fine-grained nonfoliated metamorphic rock with no specific composition. It is produced by contact metamorphism. Hornfels is a rock that was “baked” while near a heat source such as a magma chamber, sill or dike. What is Amphibolite? Amphibolite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms through recrystallization under conditions of high viscosity and directed pressure.

It is composed primarily of amphibole and plagioclase, usually with very little quartz. What is Flint? Flint is a hard, tough chemical or biochemical sedimentary rock that breaks with a conchoidal fracture. It is a form of microcrystalline quartz that is typically called “chert” by geologists. It often forms as nodules in sedimentary rocks such as chalk and marine limestones. The nodules can be dispersed randomly throughout the rock unit but are often concentrated in distinct layers. Some rock units form through the accumulation of silicious skeletal material.

These can recrystallize to form a layer of bedded flint. Flint is highly resistant to weathering and is often found as pebbles or cobbles along streams and beaches. What is Welded Tuff? Welded Tuff is a rock that is composed of materials that were ejected from a volcano, fell to Earth, and then lithified into a rock. It is usually composed mainly of volcanic ash and sometimes contains larger size particles such as cinders. (igneous rock What is Diorite? Diorite is a coarse-grained, intrusive igneous rock that contains a mixture of feldspar, pyroxene, hornblende and sometimes quartz.

Pyrite is a very interesting mineral for many reasons. The name Pyrite comes from the Greek word “pyr” which means “fire,” and was named because it was found that sparks would fly from it if struck against another minerals like steel. In early times, this sparking ability gave people a way of creating fire, and in later times, this ability made it popular for use in early firearms devices like the wheel lock. Today Pyrite is called “Fools Gold” because throughout history people have mistaken it for Gold because of its similar visible structure, metallic surface and brassy yellow color.

The funny thing is Gold is often found with to Pyrite deposits. Pyrite can easily be distinguished from Gold. Pyrite is much lighter in color and much harder. Even though Pyrite is a fairly hard mineral, its crystals are known to break and crumble, because it is brittle. Pyrite is common in the Earth’s crust and found in almost every possible geological environment like sedimentary, metamorphic, magmatic and hydrothermal deposits. Pyrite’s usual crystal forms are cubic, octahedron and pyritohedron.

When a cube and pyritohedron crystal combine, the face of the cube appear to be grooved with lines. Many times Pyrite will be found in combinations of all these forms, but also can occur in masses, globular, radiating or reniform. Pyrite is also commonly found as small nodules. A mixture of this nodular form, and are called “Pyrite Suns” or “Pyrite Dollars”, are popular for collectors. Pyrite has the same chemical makeup as Marcasite but has a different structure, and shape. Pyrite is a polymorph of Marcasite and it can be extremely difficult to tell apart.

The name Marcasite came from the Arabic word for Pyrite. The confusion between the two minerals is common because the jewelry trade uses the name Marcasite, when they are actually selling Pyrite. Actual Marcasite can’t be used in jewelry because it is even more likely than Pyrite to crumble into a powder. Another mineral named Bravoite is very closely related to Pyrite, but contains 20% more nickel. Even though Pyrite contains a high percentage of Iron and is common, it is not used as a source for Iron today. It was mined as a source for Sulfur during WWII to produce sulfuric acid.

The Sulfur component of Pyrite was in high demand as a strategic chemical, and was found in parts of Tennessee. The Pyrite supplied them with enough sulfuric acid to get the job done. Pyrite can be used to make marcasite jewelry and it usually set in silver. Pyrite is always in the process of being created or destroyed. It is mostly a good mineral but does have its down sides. Sulfate released from decomposing pyrite combines with water producing sulfuric acid, which leads to acid rock drainage and potentially acid rain.

Pyrite also has caused problems for miners. The main issue is dust explosions brought from Pyrite. To prevent these explosions the miners spray limestone on the exposed coal surfaces. Pyrite has also been known to cause some structural damage, and did so in the U. S. , Canada, and Ireland. In 2009 problems with Chinese drywall imported into the U. S. after Katrina were results of oxidation of pyrite. Stone buildings containing pyrite have been known to turn brown. Other than a few problems, Pyrite is a beneficial mineral.

Imagine returning to your Hometown 30 to 40 years from now to find it completely replaced by wetlands. This is the reality that many Louisiana natives living along the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico will have to face if coastal erosion continues at the pace it is going. Costello proclaims, “Since 1932, when the Department of Natural Resources began keeping thorough, accurate records, Louisiana has lost over 1,900 square miles or 1. 2 million acres of coastal land due to coastal erosion. (19).

Loss of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands is a problem that will impact a wide range of individuals, from those living in metropolitan areas far away to those living in smaller cities along the shoreline. The resources that this ecosystem supplies are utilized nationwide. The United States is expected to lose billions of dollars from the seafood industry, oil and gas revenue, and commercial shipping if Louisiana’s coast disappears (“Turning the Tide: the Fight to Keep Coastal Louisiana on the Map”, 1). While the state makes up forty percent of the United State’s wetlands, it regrettably accounts for eighty percent of land loss (Williams 1).

Louisiana’s wetlands are home to fish, plants, and other wild life exclusive to the area. Sadly, their habitat is steadily shrinking and exactly half of Louisiana’s original wetlands have already been lost over the past 200 years (Williams 1). Southern Louisiana is also residence to a unique, lively, and diverse group of people that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. They have an amazing culture that can be depicted in movies like Princess and the Frog, which will hopefully stay in tact in the midst of all the land loss. According to S. Jeffress Williams and the U. S. Geological Survey, “The swamps and marshes of coastal Louisiana are among the Nation’s most fragile and valuable wetlands, vital not only to recreational and agricultural interests but also the State’s more than $1 billion per year seafood industry”(1). Louisiana’s wetlands are 3 million acres, reaching 130 kilometers inland and stretching 300 kilometers along the coast (Williams 1). It is the low-lying, swampy region that acts as the drainage basin connecting the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico (Costello 19).

The Lower Mississippi River drains more than 24 million acres from seven states (Costello 19). Inhabitants have always been attracted to the region due to the vast range of resources available around the basin. Not to mention, residents were drawn in by the trade route and transportation that the Mississippi River had to offer in the 1700s (Costello 19). The fishing and shipping industries also provided many job opportunities, which made South Louisiana a very popular place to live (Costello 19).

Bibliography Costello, Gina R. “Louisina Coastal Wetlands and Louisiana Coastal Grey Literature: Vanishing Treasures. ” Maping Gray Resources for Coastal and Equatic Enviroments. Springer Science & Business Media B. V. , 1 August 2007. Web. 15 March 2011. “Turning the tide: the fight to keep coastal Louisiana on the map. ” LouisianaDept. of Natural Resources, 2004. Web. 15 March. 2011. <http://utils. louislibraries. org/> Williams, S. Jeffress. “Louisiana Coastal Wetlands: A Resource at Risk. ” US Geological Survey Facts Sheet, 3 November 1995. Web. 15 March. 2011. <http://marine. usgs. gov/fact-sheets/LAwetlands/lawetlands. html>

| | What Causes Desertification? -Overgrazing Overgrazing was not as large of a problem long ago because animals would move in response to rainfall. People would move with the animals so it prevented overgrazing in such areas. Now, humans have a steady food supply so they do not have to move about. Therefore, people use fences to keep their animals in one place which causes overgrazing. (Desertification, 2001) -Farming of Average Land Farming of average land is causing desertification worldwide. Farmers are clearing average land, and using it which takes away the richness in the soil.

People should let the average land replenish itself before farming. (Desertification, 2005) -Destruction of Plants in Dry Regions Destruction of plants in dry regions is causing desertification to occur. People are cutting down tress to use them as a source of fuel. Once all these trees are cut down there is nothing to protect the soil. Therefore, it turns to dust and is blown away by the wind. (Desertification, 2005) -Incorrect Irrigation in Arid Regions Causes a Build Up of Salt in the Soil Incorrect irrigation is commonly used in poorer areas.

Farmers are using canal irrigation and other poor techniques because of the lack of water. This type of irrigation causes a build up of salt in the soil. (Desertification, 2005) The Effects Of Desertification -Soil becomes less usable The soil can be blown away by wind or washed away rain. Nutrients in the soil can be removed by wind or water. Salt can build up in the soil which makes it harder for plant growth. -Vegetation is Lacked or Damaged Loosened soil may bury plants or leave their roots exposed.

Also, when overgrazing occurs, plant species may be lost. -Causes Famine Places that have war and poverty are most likely to have famine occur. Drought and poor land management contribute to famine. -Food Loss The soil is not suited for growing food; therefore the amount of food being made will decline. If the population is growing, this will cause economic problems and starvation. -People near Affected Areas Desertification can cause flooding, poor water quality, dust storms, and pollution. All of these effects can hurt people living near an affected region. The Facts of Desertification and United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, 2000)Case Stude: The Sahel Desert In the Sahel Desert, desertification is becoming a huge problem. Around the 1950’s, people settled into the Sahel region, in areas where there was water. This resulted in overgrazing, which is one of the greatest causes of desertification. Eventually, the perennial shrubs were destroyed because of grazing, and they were replaced by annuals. Then, the annuals were grazed out which left bare soil. A lot of the topsoil was washed away, and all that was left were rocks.

Silt turned hard when it was hit by rain. Therefore, plants were not able to grow because there roots could not penetrate this hard layer. Now this region has turned to desert and it continues to expand. (Desertification, The Sahel, 2004) Records show that rainfall in Sahel has decreased and sands have shifted about sixty miles south into the area. Sahel is expanding due to lack of vegetation in the area. (Sahel, 2005) Another reason desertification is occurring in the Sahel region is because people are using the slashing and burning method to clear land.

This degrades the quality of soil just like overgrazing. (Desertification-a Threat to the Sahel, 2000) Short Term Effects of Desertification in the Sahel: -Soil loses its nutrients which makes it not useful -Overgrazing destroys vegetation and without it erosion occurs  -Land becomes salty which makes it difficult to grow crops Long Term Effects of Desertification in the Sahel: -People die of starvation -Cattle die of starvation -The soil becomes completely useless (Prospects and Problems, 2004)|