1. A fertile region that has been made barren by the activities of human societies
http://campus.murraystate.edu/academic/faculty/frank.elwell/Prob3/glossary/gloss1.htm#DECARCERATION
2. A process by which fragile, semiarid ecosystems lose
productivity because of loss of plant cover, soil erosion, salinization, or
waterlogging. Usually associated with human misuse.
http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/pae/glossary/glossaryd.mhtml
3. A process of land degradation initiated by human activity, particularly in the zones along the margins of deserts
http://www.ge-at.iastate.edu/courses/Geol_100/glossary.v2.html
4. Conversion of rangeland, rain-fed cropland to desert-like land, with a drop in agricultural productivity of 10% or more. It is usually caused by a combination of overgrazing, soil erosion, prolonged drought, and climate change.
http://ecology.org/biod/library/glos_index.html
5. Dry land becoming desert, either through a change in climate or through the actions of humans. Intensive farming and clearing trees and other vegetation can make desertification worse.
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/glossary.htm
6. Land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities.
www.asia-tpn1.net/glossary.html and
http://www.nyo.unep.org/action/ap1.htm
7. Land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid
areas resulting mainly from adverse human impact (and climatic variations), and
is therefore a sub-set of land degradation in countries that have additional
climate zones.
http://www.adb.org/projects/PRC_GEF_Partnership/LD_definition.pdf
8. Land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas resulting mainly from adverse human impact.
http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~arid/desert/desert.html
9. Land degradation occurring in the arid, semiarid and
dry subhumid areas of the world. These susceptible drylands cover 40 percent of
the earth's surface and puts at risk more than 1 billion people who are
dependent on these lands for survival.
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/worldsoils/landdeg/degredation.html
10. Progressive destruction or degradation of existing vegetative cover to form desert. This can occur due to overgrazing, deforestation, drought, and the burning of extensive areas.
http://www.hwwa.de/Projekte/Forsch_Schwerpunkte/FS/Klimapolitik/PDFDokumente/Michaelowa,%20Koch%20(2001).pdf
11. The conversion of ecosystems into barren land.
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/iwgsdi/ISS_SDI_Climate.html
12. The diminution or destruction of the biological potential of the land, (which) can lead ultimately to desert-like conditions. UN Secretariat 1977
13. The diminution or destruction of the biological potential of land, and can lead ultimately to desert-like conditions
http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~arid/desert/desert.html
14. The extension of the desert into another ecological system such as into tropical grasslands.
http://www.kgv.edu.hk/eden/glossary.php
15. The man-made or natural formation of desert from
usable land.
http://www.casde.unl.edu/vn/glossary/earth_d.htm#desertification
http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/asd_over/glossary/d.html
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov:81/Library/glossary.php3?mode=alpha&seg=d
16. The spread or encroachment of a desert environment
into arid or semiarid regions, caused by climatic changes, human influence, or
both.
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=30548&tocid=0
17. The transformation of once-productive arid and semi-arid areas into deserts through prolonged drought or continued mismanagement of land and water resources.
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/cfs-scf/science/prodserv/glossary_e.html#23 and
http://www.fnfp.gc.ca/rep99/gloss-e.htm
18. When an area begins to develop desert-like conditions due to lack of water, deforestation, overgrazing and over cropping.
http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/climate/sercc/education/glossary/#d
19. The (usually) slow and progressive degradation of
land towards a desert state.
http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/aboutus/annualreport/sect5.pdf
20. The degradation of terrestrial ecosystems as a result of deforestation, overgrazing, poor soil, and irrigation management.
http://www.orst.edu/Dept/owrri/directory/glossary.htm#~D~
21. The process by which an area or region becomes more and through loss of soil and vegetative cover. The process is often accelerated by excessive continuous overstocking and drought.
http://www.roseworthy.adelaide.edu.au/~icooper/glossary/d.htm
22. The process by which lands not formerly deserts become deserts, because of changes in temperature and rainfall
http://www.solutions-site.org/reference/glossary.htm
23. The process by which once productive land is turned into a desert by processes such as overstocking or removal of protective vegetation.
http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/soe/95/28.htm
24. The process of a non-desert ecosystem taking on the
characteristics of a desert (arid, seemingly barren) as a result of land
mismanagement or climate change.
http://www.pbs.org/earthonedge/glossary.html
25. The process of becoming arid land or desert (as from land mismanagement or climate change).
http://sol.crest.org/renewables/SJ/glossary/D.html
26. The process of desert spread.
http://www.learn.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=Unit&WCU=7568
27. The process of land degradation which leads to a
drastic reduction of land productivity. Land is rendered unsuitable for any
productive activity. It is prevalent in arid and semi-arid areas. Its causes are
both natural (dry climate, low rainfall, water shortage) as well as
anthropogenic (overgrazing, deforestation, fires, intensive cultivation).
http://www.rri.wvu.edu/WebBook/Briassoulis/glossaryterms.htm
28. The process through which a desert takes over a formerly non-desert area. When a region begins to undergo desertification, the new conditions typically include a significantly lowered water table, a reduced supply of surface water, increased salinity in natural waters and soils, progressive destruction of native vegetation, and an accelerated rate of erosion.
http://www.iversonsoftware.com/geology/d/desertification.htm
29. The process through which once usable land is turned
into desert because of overgrazing, harmful agricultural practices, or
deforestation.
http://cwabacon.pearsoned.com/bookbind/pubbooks/social_ab/chapter4/custom1/deluxe-content.html#desertification
30. The progressive destruction or degradation of existing vegetative cover to form desert.
http://edugreen.teri.res.in/explore/glossary.htm#d
http://www.ciel.org/Publications/climatechangeglossary.pdf
31. The progressive destruction or degradation of existing vegetative cover to form desert. This can occur due to overgrazing, deforestation, drought and the burning of extensive areas. Once formed, desert can only support a sparse range of vegetation. Climatic effects associated with this phenomenon include increased albedo, reduced atmospheric humidity and greater atmospheric dust loading, which can cause wind erosion and/or atmospheric pollution.
http://www.ccasia.teri.res.in/gloss/glossary.htm
32. The spread of deserts.
http://mac01.eps.pitt.edu/harbbook/other/Glossary.html