Global Education Logo
imgGlobalIssues
imgCountryProfiles
imgTeachingTools
imgSupportNetworks
imgCurriculumLinks
imgGlobalProjects
 
 
Australia's aid program
Biodiversity
Children's rights
Desertification
 +-Teaching activities
 +-Case studies
 +-Links and resources
 +-Glossary
Education
Environment
Food security
Gender equality
Globalisation
Governance
Health
HIV/AIDS
Human rights
Microfinance
Millennium Development Goals
Natural disasters
Natural fibres
Peace building
Polar regions
Poverty reduction
Refugees
Rice
Rural development
Sanitation
Urbanisation
Volunteering
Water
Archives


 Print Page Print View

Global Education  /  Global Issues  /  Desertification  /  Glossary

Deserts and desertification glossary

Arable
Land fit for crop production.
 
Arid
Climatic conditions marked by low rainfall (less than 200 mm per year) and often in combination with high temperatures resulting in high evaporation rates.
 
Biome
Community of living things, plants and animals, best adapted to the physical environment, climate, and soils.
 
Bund
An embankment or dam built to carry water across the surface for a particular purpose.
 
Deforestation
The permanent clearing of forests for agricultural use and for settlements. It can contribute to climate change and lead to soil erosion.
 
Desert
A landscape form or region that receives little precipitation - less than 250 mm per year.
 
Desertification
Degradation of the land in arid or semi-arid areas leading to it become desert. This can be caused by climate change or poor land management practices.
 
Drought
The naturally occurring phenomenon that exists when precipitation has been significantly below normal recorded levels, causing serious water shortages.
 
Erosion
The removal of topsoil and the breakdown of rocks due to the action of the wind or water.
 
Evaporation
The transformation of liquid water into water vapour in the atmosphere.
 
Groundwater
Water which flows underground between layers of rock. It may come to the surface at springs or seepage to form oases or swamps. Humans may draw this water from wells or bores for agricultural, household and industrial use. It is replenished through surface seepage, but this may take many years depending on the depth of the aquifer.

Irrigation
The collection and distribution of water in drylands
 
Marginal land
Land that is on the verge of being suitable or unsuitable for farming, usually due to sparse vegetation and low rainfall.
 
Silt
Fine particles of sand which cover land surfaces or fill up water courses.
 
Subsistence
Production methods that barely produce enough to meet the basic needs of the farmer or worker. There is no surplus if disaster strikes or that can be sold for profits.

 
  Back to top

  Home  About  Contact  Feedback  Sitemap Admin
 

Last Modified : Monday, 15 December 2008