Aridification

Aridification is the process of a region becoming increasingly dry. It refers to long term change rather than seasonal variation.

It is often measured as the reduction of average soil moisture content. It can be caused by natural or anthropogenic means such as climate change, reduced precipitation, increased evaporation, lowering of water tables or changes in ground cover. Its major consequences include reduced agricultural production, soil degradation, ecosystem changes and decreased water catchment runoff.^[1]

See also

• Arid
• Arid Forest Research Institute
• Climate change and agriculture
• Desert
• Global warming
• Groundwater
• Soil moisture
• Water balance
• Water content
• Water cycle

Deforestation and desertification
Deforestation	Assarting Deforestation Deforestation and climate change Deforestation by region Deforestation during the Roman period Illegal logging Mountaintop removal Slash-and-burn Slash-and-char
Desertification	Aridification Desertification Moisture recycling Soil retrogression and degradation Water scarcity
Mitigation	Afforestation Arid Lands Information Network Biochar Conservation grazing Desert greening Ecoforestry Ecological engineering Farmer-managed regeneration Flexible Mechanisms Great Green Wall (Africa) Managed intensive rotational grazing Oasification Reforestation Three-North Shelter Forest (China)
Related articles	Allan Savory Biodiversity Economic impact analysis Environmental philosophy Extinction Intact forest landscape International Year of Forests Land surface effects on climate Land use, land-use change and forestry Natural landscape Neolithic Richard St. Barbe Baker Satoyama Terraforming Terra preta Wilderness World Forestry Congress

References

External links

• GLASOD Classification of soil degradation