Rangelands cover 54% of all land on Earth (IMAGE)
Caption
Authors of the UNCCD Global Land Outlook Thematic Report on Rangelands and Pastoralists say up to 50% of rangelands are degraded. Symptoms include diminished soil fertility and nutrients, erosion, salinization, alkalinization, and soil compaction inhibiting plant growth, all of which contribute to drought, precipitation fluctuations, and biodiversity loss both above and below the ground. The degradation is driven largely by converting pastures to cropland and other land use changes due to population growth and urban expansion, rapidly rising food, fibre and fuel demands, excessive grazing, abandonment (end of maintenance by pastoralists), and policies that incentivize overexploitation.
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UNCCD / Juan Pablo Marin García
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