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18 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Where is the Sahel?
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It is a narrow belt of land in central Africa which borders the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. |
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What is desertification?
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The spread of desert-like conditions to semi-arid areas |
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What is the climate like in the Sahel? |
Semi-arid and always hot |
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How long is the dry season in the Sahel? |
Long dry season from June - January |
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How does the climate effect the vegetation? |
Just enough rainfall for some grasses, shrubs and trees to grow. |
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What biome is the Sahel classified as? |
Savannah |
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Which area is most at threat from desertification? |
The thin grassland on the margins of the Sahara |
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Give examples of wildlife found towards the middle of the savannah regions
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Wildebeest, antelope and zebra |
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Why is climate change the cause of desertification?
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If less rain falls, fewer grasses can grow and more trees die and therefore the landscape becomes more like desert. |
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Until what decade was water plentiful and did livestock do well in the Sahel? |
1960s |
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What happened in the 1960s?
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There was an increase in population and more trees were felled to provide fuel and building materials. |
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What caused over cultivation and overgrazing?
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More people still tried to grow the same crops and rear the same number of animals as the climate became drier. |
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How did a lack of vegetation lead to the soil drying out and being eroded by wind and flash floods?
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No vegetation so therefore no humus being added to the soil, without humus the soil was able to hold little water, therefore the soil dried out. |
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What has become almost annual since the 1970s? |
Crop failures |
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How many people have died of starvation since the 1970s in the Sahel? |
100,000 |
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Where have people migrated to since the 1970s? |
Less arid areas |
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What did Oxfam set up in Burkina Faso to try to prevent desertification? |
A method of catching rain when it falls |
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Why are stone walls built following the slope of the land? |
Acts as a dam when the rain falls and stops surface water run-off. It allows water to sink into the soil and therefore can increase crop yields by up to 50% |
