What effect does human land use have on the climate/weather? Is it all about tropical rain forests? Or are there other vulnerable regions? What are some other regions closer to the tipping point, where a small increase in human activities can cause instability in the climate/weather?
This is the link to the article that you will be responding to.
Desertification - A Threat To The Sahel
http://www.eden-foundation.org/project/desertif.html
Remember, you need to write a 300 word opinion/reaction to the article by Friday, July 8. You then have between Friday, July 8 and Friday, July 15 to respond to one of your classmate's posts. Please see the calendar page, the link for which is on the right.
Additionally, you should take a look at the links below to familiarize yourself with the issue a bit more. This will give you some context when you read the article. I don't expect you to spend too much time, but take a few minutes to explore the sites and get an idea for the scope of the issue.
A short article connecting the Dust Bowl in the United States to the Sahel region of Africa.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/DustBowl/
This is a nice, detailed map showing the worldwide vulnerability to desertification.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Desertification_map.png
This page gives some background on the Sahel region of Africa, with pictures and maps.
http://ponce.sdsu.edu/sahel_081015.html
I thought this article was very interesting since it made me rethink of other areas that are also vulnerable. Usually, when I think of the word's environmental problems, the rainforest is among the first issues that comes to my mind. I have never thought of the Sahel as being a problem place that can bring climatic changes. It has surprised me how much the overgrazing and the use of the land as farmland has caused so much changes to the environement by bringing droughts and desertification. Places likes these are also in danger.
ReplyDeleteI have had a hard time thinking of other places in the world that are vulnerable to climatic changes as a result of human activity. I believe urban areas are vulnerable, in that the cutting of trees can make places warmer. I remember that ten years ago, the temperature of the area where I used to live was much colder than it is now. It has become warmer as a result of nearby developing communities cutting many trees. Likewise, I believe that the replacement of normal ground for pavement can also affect the climate, since the water does not return to the ground, accumulating elsewhere, affecting the water cycle.
Still, I believe that the whole world is at risk for climate change due to human activity. If people are really to blame for climate change, then I guess, many of the hurricanes that occur due to an increased temperature in the ocean, could be attributed to our actions (I'm thinking of the El Niño phenomenon). I think scientists are unsure as to whether El Niño and La Niña are related to global warning, but if they are, I believe it's a wake up call to people since these phenomenenons could be proof that people's actions could really determine the future of the world.
It is not al about tropical rain forest there are other vulnerable regions. Mainly everyone can think that tropical rain forest is the main problem, but after reading this article I can see that there are more problems in others parts that I never though about. Sahel passes through desertification and many more problems that around 60 years didn’t occur. Instead in many other cities like Dalli and Noumau people ancestors remembered that they used to hunt a variety of animals and they also farmed.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion when reading about Sahel and Sahara I thought it was very interesting but also sad. The Sahara is seen as sea of sand dunes washing to the Sahel and exposing farmers to waves of sand that roll in from desert. This sand then swallowed large parts of farming land. I think it is sad because for me the Sahara is basically eating the Sahel farming land. That is why now there are no more animals for hunting or faming land for crops. This happened like I said in Dalli and Noumau where years before families were happy enough and went hunting. Noumau farmers in the village cultivated millet, but an interesting fact is that Malam Garba’s field is 3 times larger but unfortunately his harvest is 1/7 of what it was used to be 40 years ago.
I think that climate also involves all the destruction that has taken place. In one of the extra articles it said that there was a drought in Sahel in 1914 that caused large-scale famine. The temperature changes soil conditions and therefore sometimes ruins the crops. I truly agree with the end of the article when it says that: “Men can either destroy his environment or be constructive by solving problems that occur within it.” With the increase of perennials in agriculture farmers are the agents for stabilization of their land. They are the ones who control their land and have to protect it. I thought this article was interesting because I never imagined this places with such problems, I thought basically of the most common like the rainforest in Brazil.
A big part of Earth’s land is dry land, and a big part of that dry land is desert and in those lands, species need to make anything possible for survival. The extremely hot and cold climates are some of the characteristics of desserts to which species need to grow accustomed. There is a problem with desserts that really scares me, and it is the problem with farming land. Desserts, such as the Sahara, directly threaten these lands therefore, farmers are directly affected. However there is a clever tactic of filling the land before the farms with plenty vegetation. When there is little vegetation, it is easier for the wind to produce erosion. Currently, rain in deserts is lighter and erratic. This is a problem because I think that if rain starts to decrease, there will be a point where there will not be rain at all and species will not be able to survive. Crops will not grow properly and their production will decrease along with the amount of rain. On the other hand, decimation of vegetation is affecting the grain yields which are insufficient. I cannot imagine how this might grow into a hunger problem and affect a huge part of the population on Earth.
ReplyDeleteIt is incredible to see all the ways in which desertification affects our planet. It leads to soil-nutrient depletion and reduction of biological productivity. The same winds are the ones that cause the terrible erosion. Lands are rapidly being lost due to desertification. An interesting fact is that people are worried about rainforests but they don’t realize about the danger that deserts are undergoing. People do not understand that if they continue clearing vegetated areas to grow crops, deserts will advance. Thus, human activity continues to foster new dangers to our planet and people do not realize that many areas are getting damaged because of them.
When I think of a desert a mental picture comes to my mind, which immediately relates a dry and rugged area with very few forestations and mainly composed of plants that don’t require as much water to survive. When reading this article it opened my eyes to the issues that desertification does when it happens such as the major issues relating with those of the Sahel region. People usually compare and relate the Sahara with the Sahel because of their general climate but they are actually very different landforms when it comes to the geography and the landforms.
ReplyDeleteEven though they both indeed have dunes and Sahara is known as the “sea of land dunes”. This affects sometimes the areas that surround the Sahara because when strong wings hit the desert large “clouds” move from the Sahara to other areas and affect the agriculture. A perfect example of another place that was affected by climatic changes is the areas were the dust bowl hit the hardest in the United States, which are the states such as Alabama, Texas, Nebraska and their neighboring parts. This is a perfect example of how even though people think that most of the climatic changes are because if the deforestation in tropical areas such as the Earth’s lungs (Amazon Rainforest), but they seem to forget that also the mistreatment and the climate changes also affect dry lands such as the Sahel region.
Some regions that may be in the tipping point of reaching a disaster may be urban areas that either suffer from too much monotonous agriculture and that the land is loosing many of its nutrients due to this routinely farming. Even though some areas may seem closer to the “tipping point” than others, it is all because of human activity and human treatment of our surroundings that are causing this changes in the climate that ultimately are affecting the entire world.
I agree with what Isa had to say because she emphasizes how most people seem to relate the problems of the climate changes or of global warming to the tropical areas and tropical forests but it is actually not al true. Many of the changes in climate have affected dry lands such as those mentioned in the article which are composed by the Sahel and the Sahara deserts. I also agree in that Isa thought that areas that are reaching the tipping point are those urban areas which are constantly receiving mistreatment by humans and that if this continues the situation will only worsen.
ReplyDeleteI like this sentence that Glori said: "I cannot imagine how this might grow into a hunger problem and affect a huge part of the population on Earth." This is completely true since like she said there has to be a lot of vegetation so when the wind comes and rain comes the vegetation will be able to support and survive. When I think of people dying of hunger it makes me really sad because many people die of this problem. I woudn't want for that percent of problem to increase with this problem that involves the desert. Farmers should be in charge of an acceptable amount of vegetation.
ReplyDeleteIts impressive how vulnerable Earth is to our presence, many people belive that only few parts of the enviorment are threatened yet this article shows that alot of areas in Earth are vulnerable to climate change due to our interference. The Sahel is danger since deforestation and overgrazing are greatly affecting it. The desert is growing and destroying farmlands since due to deforestation and overgrazing the soil is being blown away in dust stroms and without “green belts” for protection the Sahel is being destroyed. This proves that human action is hurting many regions such as deserts, artic, oceans and rainforest. Many countries are corrently have a big problem with deforestation and human effects on the enviorment. Our action hurt the enviorment causing weather and climate changes this changes then affect humans since agriculture , livestock, resoureces, etc are also changed. Humans land use has to be enviormental friendly this way there will be more benefits, people will be able to produce and consume more goods at the same time that the enviorment is being protected.
ReplyDeleteMany countries are facing desertification and other enviorment issues because there misuse of land is hurting the enviorment and cuasing weather changes. For example the Sahel has always being dry and hot yet people were able to survive and have a better life before since the enviorment was stable but humans have deforestated and overgrazed so much that dust stroms have started to occur increasing the size of Sahara, decreasing rain and affecting agriculutre. Human action acroos the globe are affecting the enviorment, causing huge problems such as drought, famine, storms, overheat, etc. This article shows that many regions are vulnerable to human actions and that in order to survive people must start to protect the enviorment so that benefits increase and the enviorment is safe.
I like the quote that Gabriela posted about the article that says: “Men can either destroy his environment or be constructive by solving problems that occur within it.” I agree with her in that the farmers are the agents of their own lands. They are the ones who need to take care of their lands and be responsible about them because nobody else will, and with climate changes like these ones they need to be even more careful. I also agree with her opinion towards desserts and that rainforests are not the main problem. There are also other areas with problems, like these farmlands being affected by desertification.
ReplyDeleteI liked Ale's mentioning of the Dust Bowl. It just amazes me how often we think of the world's problems and never realize that many of them are in our own backyard. When I think of environmental problems, I think of far away places like Brazil and Africa, but the US? It's always last in my list. Yet, it has had quite a bit of environmental problems such as the DDT spraying that went on in the 50's, and well right now, I believe it's one of the countries with the largest carbon footprint. I guess the whole world is at its tipping point, or at least vulnerable to our activities.
ReplyDeleteWhen I see the word ‘desertification’ an image comes in mind of a tropical rainforest slowly becoming a desert by deforestation, drought or of another problem. After reading this article I realized that on Earth there are many other vulnerable regions other than just tropical rain forests. One example might be Sahel since it has gone through desertification that before it did not seemed true that it could happen. Living things have to accustom to the on going climate changes wherever they are situated as in hot and cold temperatures. Each region depends on certain things as if in agriculture, its landform, geography, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe Sahara is know as a sea of sand dunes that many times takes over farming land and expose farmers to serious problems. As what is happening to Sahel farming land. In Sahel dust storms have been created where the land has been removed by grazing. Since Sahel lies south of the Sahara Desert throughout the years there has been low rainfall, but now Sahel is experiencing a severe drought. Sahel is going through desertification since there is a high amount of humans with their cattle’s eating the grass in the fields (grazing). With overgrazing there comes many problems because it compacts the soil and decrease the capacity to hold water and reveal soli to erosion. This is what many regions are going through thanks to human activities with livestock and other things.
Desertification can really affect Earth in many ways. A big part of why the world is at instability is because of human activities. With human activities come many problems as climate change. When you have climate change it provokes destruction since it can demolish the crops that helps others survive. Some regions that are at the tipping point are in Brazil, and other urban areas. We humans have the power and the intelligence to help find a cure to save the Earth when we still can, but still some of us just destroys it more every time.