Desertification

At the equator, air is rizing as it is heated by the sun. Once it reaches the tropopause, the air is forced to the sides. The air then becomes cold and sinks - meaning clouds do not form: resulting in no rainfall.

1) Low amounts of organic material
2) Low moisture content in soils caused by moisture levels
3) Few nutrients for the plants to grow
4) Less plants means less soil is held together by their roots
5) Top layer of soil (Humus) is being eroded by the wind
6)Nutrients are lost
7) Bare Soil

They are dar from the cooling influence from the sea

The heat escapes at night since there are not any clouds to trap the heat and very few trees and other things to store heat.

1) Plants that have adapted to the area enviroments by storing as much as the little water as possible and reducing evapotranspiraton rates
2)No leaves for evapotranspiration- not needed due to large amounts of sunlight
3)Spikes to deter from preditors

1) The plants that are adapted to arid environments by growing extremely long roots allowing them to aquire moisture at or near the water table

1) Nostrils can be closed to keep out blowing sand
2) Browad flat leathery pafs at the bottom of their hooves
3) Pads spread out when the camel places it's feet on the ground thus creating a "snoeshoe" effect and preventing the camel from sinking to the ground.
4) Fat stored in humps. Help it to survive long periods without food or water
5) Thick fur and under wool provide warmth duing cold desert nights

1) Their large ears help disapate excess body heat
2) The fennec fox's kidneys are adapted to restrict water loss and their extensive burrowing causes the formation of dew which can be consumed
3) They are nocturnal to avoid water loss due to sweating from the sun
4) They have long thick hick fur that insulates them during cold nights and they are shiny as shiny as to reflect the sun during the day
5) The foxes feet are hairy which protect them from the sand with excellent traction from the sand

It streaches across north west india into pakistan. The Desert covers an area of some 20000 km^2 mostly in the Indian state of Rajasthan.

The desert has many valuable reserves for minerals for example:
Gypsum - used in making plaster for construction and for cement
Feldsper(used to make ceramics)
Phospherite (used to make fertilizer)
Kaolin (used as a whitener in paper)
Sanu limestone is the main source of limestone for india's seteel industry

The Thar Desert with it's beautifull landscapes attracts around 10,000 visitors annually. Some attractions include:
Desert safaris on camels in Jalsalmer attracts forigners and wealthy indians
Annual desert festival each winter is a popular attraction with food, accomidation and by acting or raising or looking after camels

Coal - There are some lignite coal deposits in parts of the Thar Desert and a therman energy plant is being constructed
Oil - A large oilfield has been discovered in the Barmer district which can transform the local economy
Wind - The Jaisalmer Wind Park s located here and constructed in 2001 and is the largest wind farm in India
Solar - It is sunny and cloudless here. At Bhaleri , solar power is being used to treat the water

Commercial faarming is made possible using irrigation. Tje construction of Indias Gandi channel in 1958 has revolutionised crops such as wheat

It is difficult to work in the day in the heat
HEat causes evaporation of water reserves - leading to watershortages, which can affect people as weal as plants and animals

Water supply has become a serious issue in the Thar Desert. As the population has grown and farming aned industry has developed, demand for water has increased.
The desert also has very low annual rainfall

Due to very extreme weather abd tge oresence if vast barran areas, there is a very kimited road network across the Thar Desert. The high temepratures cause tarmac to melt and the strong winds to blow sands over roads. many places are only accessable by camel

The degredation of fertile land into desert like conditions

Temeperatures worldwide are increasing directly as a result of climate change and rainfall is becoming unreliable. On average it rains less now than it did 50 years ago. Soil is therefore less fertile than it should be and the cycle begins.

This increases demand for fuelwood and food. More wood is being cut down for fuel, resulting in less soil cover - worsening desertification. Humans can sometimes cause the soil of nutrients by farming too much ( to meet the demand) or overgrazing animals for their products and meat

Generally, people in LICs will cut more wood for fuel. Cutting too many branches could kill a tree. The loss of trees means less roots to bind the soil together increasing surface runoff with soil and nutrients but also has less vegitation cover. Which can exaccerbate desertification and spread the process

Farm animals overgrazing destry the existing vegitation leaving the land bare

During overcultivation, nutrients in the soil are exhausted, The sil becomes infertile and turn to dust and desert like conditions.

1) IT rained less than it did 50 yearsd ago
2) Prolonged droughts displaced 1000s of inhabitants
3) Nitrogen cycle is disrupted
4) Reduces biodiversity

Population growth
1) Even more stress on agriculture
2) Slash and burn farming
3) Human activity changes Sahel surface
4) Reduces in humidty and rainfall
5) Bad land management

They are owned by authorities which protects land from human activity causing desertification. An example is desert national park in India

The Tal Rindh Rageland Dehabilitation project reverses desertification caused by overrgrazing in the 1990s
They plant atriplex plants to hold the soil together and bring new wildlife
Low stonwalls stop water running down slopes after heavy rainfall

They will plant trees in deserts ito help restore biodiversity and soil fetility.
THe great green wall is a 8000km "wall" of Accasia trees being planted across the Sahara.

The Magic stones spreads rainwater along the desert. It uses a semipermeable struture which allows water to flow and sink into the soil.