Editing Desertification (section)

=== Influence of human activities ===
Early studies argued one of the most common causes of desertification was overgrazing, over consumption of vegetation by cattle or other livestock.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Charney |first=J. G. |date=April 1975 |title=Dynamics of deserts and drought in the Sahel |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/qj.49710142802 |journal=Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society |language=en |volume=101 |issue=428 |pages=193–202 |doi=10.1002/qj.49710142802 |bibcode=1975QJRMS.101..193C |access-date=2022-05-24 |archive-date=2023-07-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230730161050/https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/qj.49710142802 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, the role of local overexploitation in driving desertification in the recent past is controversial.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |date=2016 |editor-last=Behnke |editor-first=Roy |editor2-last=Mortimore |editor2-first=Michael |title=The End of Desertification? |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16014-1 |journal=Springer Earth System Sciences |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-642-16014-1 |isbn=978-3-642-16013-4 |s2cid=132424053 |issn=2197-9596}}</ref> Drought in the Sahel region is now thought to be principally the result of seasonal variability in rainfall caused by large-scale [[sea surface temperature]] variations, largely driven by natural variability and anthropogenic emissions of aerosols (reflective [[Particulates|sulphate particles]]) and greenhouse gases.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Biasutti |first=Michela |date=July 2019 |title=Rainfall trends in the African Sahel: Characteristics, processes, and causes |journal=WIREs Climate Change |language=en |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=e591 |doi=10.1002/wcc.591 |issn=1757-7780 |pmc=6617823 |pmid=31341517|bibcode=2019WIRCC..10E.591B }}</ref> As a result, changing ocean temperature and reductions in [[sulfate]] emissions have caused a re-greening of the region.<ref name=":3" /> This has led some scholars to argue that agriculture-induced vegetation loss is a minor factor in desertification.<ref name=":6" />

Human population dynamics have a considerable impact on overgrazing, over-farming and deforestation, as previously acceptable techniques have become unsustainable.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Epule|first1=Terence Epule|last2=Peng|first2=Changhui|last3=Lepage|first3=Laurent|date=February 2015|title=Environmental refugees in sub-Saharan Africa: a review of perspectives on the trends, causes, challenges and way forward|journal=GeoJournal|volume=80|issue=1|pages=79–92|doi=10.1007/s10708-014-9528-z|bibcode=2015GeoJo..80...79E |s2cid=154503204|issn=0343-2521}}</ref>

There are multiple reasons farmers use [[intensive farming]] as opposed to [[extensive farming]] but the main reason is to maximize yields.<ref name=":52">{{Cite web |date=2019-08-06 |title=Explainer: Desertification and the role of climate change |url=https://www.carbonbrief.org/explainer-desertification-and-the-role-of-climate-change |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210001559/https://www.carbonbrief.org/explainer-desertification-and-the-role-of-climate-change |archive-date=2022-02-10 |access-date=2019-10-22 |website=Carbon Brief |language=en}}</ref> By increasing productivity, they require a lot more fertilizer, pesticides, and labor to upkeep machinery. This continuous use of the land rapidly depletes the nutrients of the soil causing desertification to spread.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nations |first=United |title=World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought |url=https://www.un.org/en/observances/desertification-day |access-date=2023-09-11 |website=United Nations |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/intensive-agriculture|title=Intensive agriculture|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2019-11-19|archive-date=2008-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080624184604/http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9042533/intensive-agriculture|url-status=live}}</ref>