Question

How deforestation can lead to desertification?

Answer 1

Hint: Cutting, removal or deterioration of forest cover of an area that causes soil erosion or removal of upper fertile layers of the soil. This leaves the soil used for human activities and makes it infertile which gradually converts into desert areas.

Complete answer:
Cutting down of trees for large tracts of land for logging, agriculture and grazing operations is known as deforestation.
Desertification is a form of land degradation within which a comparatively ground region becomes increasingly arid, typically losing its bodies of water, wildlife and vegetation. It is caused by frequent changes in temperature and many human activities. Excessive loss of trees due to deforestation resulted in dried climate and desertification (or the transformation of the fertile land into desert).
Causes of deforestation-
Human establishment- The demands for houses, timber, fuel, forest products have increased
For fuel- Till now the greatest use of forest products worldwide is for fuel.
Mountain and forest road- Constitution of roads and railways leads to a lot of deforestation, landslides and soil erosion.
Overgrazing- Animals graze forests trampling seedlings and causing compaction of soil.
Jhuming and forest fires- Decreases the soil quality.
Industrialization- Cutting forest for land and wood products.
Effects of deforestation-
Soil erosion- Soil is exposed to insulation, dries up and gets eroded by wind wind and water due to absence of forest covert.
Flash floods- During the rainy season due to non-retention of water in the soil, increased runoff water flowing into streams and rivers.
Drought- There is very little water in rivers during the dry season causing drought.
Rainfall- Amount and periodicity of rainfall decreases therefore, leads to desertification or forming of desert.
Shrinking fuel wood and reduced timber
Global warming- Deforestation increases atmospheric carbon dioxide content by releasing carbon stored in organic matter and reducing primary productivity.
Deforestation causes the worst effect on our environment. Due to excessive cutting of trees it leads to problems like flood and soil erosion during rainy days, drought durgin dry season.
Soil is completely exposed and comes in direct contact with air and water which flows soil with them and after this continuous process the quality of Soils completely destroyed and it loses its all properties and hence it is considered a desert that has no proper.

Note: From the above discussion it is clear that Deforestation leads to desertification. It can be stopped or reduced by reforestation or afforestation, less use of wood for fuel purposes, shifting cultivation, urban forestry, etc. To protect soil from desertification, these measures should be followed.