What is desertification Desertification is the degradation of land in arid areas, not the expansion of existing deserts. Natural deserts occur because of areas of high pressure or because of “rain shadow effects,” both products of the atmosphere interacting with geography; however, modern desertification is the result of land degradation due to human use. Desertification occurs mostly in arid regions as rainfall is already low and this amplifies any other disturbances, such as over-cultivation. Alan Grainger in his book states that the scientific community considers this problem “the decline in biological productivity or production potential is characteristic of a long-term degradation process, rather than a simple short-term decline in the level of production that is commonly occurs during drought” (15), however the book believes that this definition is not intense enough to capture the severity of desertification. The term itself confuses people into thinking that desertification is the expansion, and possible natural expansion, of deserts. Africa's drier lands in the Sahara tend to be suitable only for nomadic livestock, as regular agriculture is not equipped to handle anything less than 350mm of rainfall. Causes and dangers: the increase and abuse of agriculture are one of the main causes of desertification. Agricultural practices require the use and often drying of rivers. While excessive water use is central to creating drought conditions, deforestation and soil erosion could be considered much more harmful. To create agricultural surfaces, the land must be cleared of existing vegetation. Because roots bind to the soil and create microbacterial gums, their loss has significant consequences for soil strength (1). W...... middle of paper ......the method is problematic as it often leads to overgrazing of public areas. Traditional grazing practices tend to displace wildlife and upset the original balance of plant species composition. According to research conducted at the University of Botswana (14), the replacement of a dominant plant species causes lasting changes in the “outputs, inputs and components of the system”. Grazing when managed by the property before the population boom in Africa was sustainable and did not damage the composition of biodiversity. However, rising populations and export demands have pushed grazing to its peak and led to subsisting mixed farms that are short of subsidies and require pesticides and large-scale monocultures to increase yield. ResultsResults: If managed correctly, agriculture should improve and not be the enemy of biodiversity in Africa's drylands.