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Desert. A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the land surface of the Earth is arid or semi-arid.
Desert climate. The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification BWh and BWk) is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert climates are dry and hold little moisture, quickly evaporating the already little rainfall ...
Desert ecology is the study of interactions between both biotic and abiotic components of desert environments. A desert ecosystem is defined by interactions between organisms, the climate in which they live, and any other non-living influences on the habitat. Deserts are arid regions that are generally associated with warm temperatures; however ...
Desertification is a gradual process of increased soil aridity. Desertification has been defined in the text of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) as "land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities."
Climate change. Changes in surface air temperature over the past 50 years. [ 1] The Arctic has warmed the most, and temperatures on land have generally increased more than sea surface temperatures. Earth's average surface air temperature has increased almost 1.5 °C (about 2.5 °F) since the Industrial Revolution.
Paleoclimatology ( British spelling, palaeoclimatology) is the scientific study of climates predating the invention of meteorological instruments, when no direct measurement data were available. [ 1] As instrumental records only span a tiny part of Earth's history, the reconstruction of ancient climate is important to understand natural ...
Aridity is the condition of a region that severely lacks available water, to the extent of hindering or preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life. Regions with arid climates tend to lack vegetation and are called xeric or desertic. Most arid climates are located in the subtropics; these regions include parts of Africa, Asia ...
Desert greening. Desert greening is the process of afforestation or revegetation of deserts for ecological restoration ( biodiversity ), sustainable farming and forestry, but also for reclamation of natural water systems and other ecological systems that support life. The term "desert greening" is intended to apply to both cold and hot arid and ...