Desertification

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/desertification

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Desertification?Approximately 40-41%
2. What is the global population residing in drylands?Exceeds 2 billion people
3. What is the prominent affected regions?Sahel (Africa), Gobi Desert and Mongolia (Asia), parts of South America
4. Why does desertification happen?It happens when plants are gone due to drought or human actions like farming, grazing, or cutting trees, leaving soil exposed to erosion.
5. Where does desertification most affect people?It mainly affects dryland areas such as the Sahel in Africa, parts of Asia like Mongolia and the Gobi Desert, and some regions of South America, where many people live.

Land Degradation: The deterioration of the land's biological and economic productivity.
Anthropogenic Pressures: Environmental damage caused by human activities.
Ecosystem Services: The benefits that humans derive from natural ecosystems, such as clean water and fertile soil.