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What four types of land are especially affected by desertification?
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desertification
Young trees planted to hinder sandstorms and reverse desertification in the Xihu preservation area of the Gobi Desert, near Dunhuang, China.
Desertification is the process by which natural or human factors reduce the biological productivity of drylands, rather than the physical expansion of existing deserts. The following four types of land are especially affected by this process:
- Irrigated croplands: These areas are frequently degraded by the accumulation of salts in the soil.
- Rain-fed croplands: These lands experience unreliable rainfall and are highly susceptible to wind-driven soil erosion.
- Grazing lands: These areas are harmed by overgrazing, which leads to soil compaction and erosion.
- Dry woodlands: These regions are primarily plagued by the overconsumption of fuelwood.1