Desertification of Arid Lands - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Desertification of Arid Lands write by Harold E. Dregne. This book was released on 1983. Desertification of Arid Lands available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. First Published in 1983. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
The Arid Lands
The Arid Lands - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook The Arid Lands write by Diana K. Davis. This book was released on 2016-03-25. The Arid Lands available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. An argument that the perception of arid lands as wastelands is politically motivated and that these landscapes are variable, biodiverse ecosystems, whose inhabitants must be empowered. Deserts are commonly imagined as barren, defiled, worthless places, wastelands in need of development. This understanding has fueled extensive anti-desertification efforts—a multimillion-dollar global campaign driven by perceptions of a looming crisis. In this book, Diana Davis argues that estimates of desertification have been significantly exaggerated and that deserts and drylands—which constitute about 41% of the earth's landmass—are actually resilient and biodiverse environments in which a great many indigenous people have long lived sustainably. Meanwhile, contemporary arid lands development programs and anti-desertification efforts have met with little success. As Davis explains, these environments are not governed by the equilibrium ecological dynamics that apply in most other regions. Davis shows that our notion of the arid lands as wastelands derives largely from politically motivated Anglo-European colonial assumptions that these regions had been laid waste by “traditional” uses of the land. Unfortunately, such assumptions still frequently inform policy. Drawing on political ecology and environmental history, Davis traces changes in our understanding of deserts, from the benign views of the classical era to Christian associations of the desert with sinful activities to later (neo)colonial assumptions of destruction. She further explains how our thinking about deserts is problematically related to our conceptions of forests and desiccation. Davis concludes that a new understanding of the arid lands as healthy, natural, but variable ecosystems that do not necessarily need improvement or development will facilitate a more sustainable future for the world's magnificent drylands.
A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration
A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration write by David A. Bainbridge. This book was released on 2012-09-26. A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Dryland degradation and desertification now affect almost a billion people around the world. Tragically, the biological resources and productivity of millions of acres of land are lost to desertification each year because people remain unaware of strategies and techniques that could improve yields, reduce risk, and begin healing the world's deserts. A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration is the first book to offer practical, field-tested solutions to this critical problem. Author David Bainbridge has spent more than 25 years actively involved in restoring lands across the American Southwest. A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration presents the results of his years of fieldwork, as well as research and experience from scientists and practitioners around the globe. The book discusses the ecology of desert plants, explores the causes of desertification and land abuse, and outlines the processes and procedures needed to evaluate, plan, implement, and monitor desert restoration projects. It sets forth economical and practical field-tested solutions for understanding site characteristics, selecting and growing plants, and ensuring that they survive with a minimal amount of water and care. Each chapter represents a guide to a critical topic for environmental restoration; extensive photographs, diagrams and drawings give detailed information for immediate application, and additional resources are included in appendixes. A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration is the first comprehensive book focused on restoring arid regions, and clearly demonstrates that arid lands can be successfully rehabilitated. In addition to restorationists, the book will be an invaluable resource for anyone working in arid lands, including farmers, ranchers, gardeners, landscapers, outdoor recreation professionals, and activists.
Desertification of Arid Lands
Desertification of Arid Lands - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Desertification of Arid Lands write by H. E. Dregne. This book was released on 1985. Desertification of Arid Lands available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle.
Physics of Desertification
Physics of Desertification - read free eBook in online reader or directly download on the web page. Select files or add your book in reader. Download and read online ebook Physics of Desertification write by F. El-Baz. This book was released on 1986-04-30. Physics of Desertification available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Deserts are parts of the Earth that receive little or no rain; 25 cm or less per year. The physical processes that act upon these parched lands are vastly different from those that shape the more humid parts of the terrestrial landmasses. In the desert, wind is a major agent of erosion and transportation. As the results of recent space missions have indicated, this is also true in the case of the planet Mars. Thus, our understanding of desert processes sheds light on fundamental planetary processes that may apply on any planetary body that is enveloped by a windy atmosphere. An understanding of the physical layout of arid lands, and the nature of processes that initiate changes therein is also fundamental to thoughtful utilization of these lands for the benefit of mankind. It is with this in mind that we prepared this book for publication. We believe that the collection of articles in this book will be useful to scientists who are interested in desert landforms and processes, and to planners of economic develop ment of arid lands. The book also serves as a guide for students as to the state of our knowledge in this field as well as to the topics that require additional research.
