IDSB02H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Animal Husbandry, Soil Fertility
20 Apr 2017
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Idsb02: lecture 8 - dryland environments and development. Found between the tropical convergence zone and the great deserts. In the northern hemisphere, summer is a semi-arid wet season (within the itcz) and winter is the dry season under the sthpz. Occupy about 41% of global terrestrial area. Home to 38% of the earth"s population. One of the world"s most heavily inhabited ecosystems. Defined by very low precipitation (< 1000 mm/yr). Drylands are a large and important region, particularly in sub-saharan africa. Highly developed, context specific, local bodies of environmental knowledge are needed to manage properly. Proximate causes of land degradation in semi-arid environments: Shift in production during climatic anomalies due to a few years of good rain. Leads to degradation after the anomaly ends. Ultimate causes of land degradation in semi-arid environments: Any combination of environmental, social, economic and political factors resulting in increasing sedentarization on lands not suited for it (environmental limits of growth), as well as:
