Which human activity is commonly cited as a driver of desertification?

Which human activity is commonly cited as a driver of desertification?

• A. Deforestation and overgrazing
• B. Construction of skyscrapers
• C. Deep ocean mining
• D. Hydroponic farming

Answer: (A)

Desertification happens when land that used to be productive loses its ability to support vegetation and crops, often because the protective cover of plants is removed and the soil is disturbed. Deforestation removes trees that protect soil from heavy rain and help retain moisture, while overgrazing by livestock strips away grasses and other ground cover. With little vegetation, rain lands hard on the soil, topsoil is easily washed or blown away, soil structure breaks down, and fertility declines. Over time, this leads to exposed, eroded land that behaves more like a desert, especially in dry regions. That combination of removing tree cover and overgrazing is the classic driver of desertification. The other activities listed—building tall urban structures, deep-ocean mining, or soil-less farming methods—aren’t typically responsible for broad desertification of arid lands in the same way, though they have their own environmental impacts.

Desertification happens when land that used to be productive loses its ability to support vegetation and crops, often because the protective cover of plants is removed and the soil is disturbed. Deforestation removes trees that protect soil from heavy rain and help retain moisture, while overgrazing by livestock strips away grasses and other ground cover. With little vegetation, rain lands hard on the soil, topsoil is easily washed or blown away, soil structure breaks down, and fertility declines. Over time, this leads to exposed, eroded land that behaves more like a desert, especially in dry regions.

That combination of removing tree cover and overgrazing is the classic driver of desertification. The other activities listed—building tall urban structures, deep-ocean mining, or soil-less farming methods—aren’t typically responsible for broad desertification of arid lands in the same way, though they have their own environmental impacts.