It can reduce soil fertility and damage the overall structure of the soil. The lack of organic matter makes it crumbly and more likely to be washed or blown away, the soil is then unable to retain much or any moisture, resulting in lack or crops or grazing material. Ensuing a vicious cycle for the soil. Over-irrigation is an extreme issue as over-irrigated land can cause salinisation, creating impermeable and infertile salty crust in the surface. As this is a key feature of desertification it then means that the land for both these reasons is not able to be used and causing desertification to spread.
This condition made the soil to be more prone to the heavy winds, which blew the loose topsoil in what was described as the black blizzards. The effect was the blockage of the sun and the piling of dirt in drifts. The condition forced a mass migration of farmers and ranchers who left the region for California and other parts of the world (West, 2011). Causes of the Dust Bowl The problem leading to the events of the dust bowl began during the world war one. The war had led to increase in the price of wheat.
Secondary effects include respiration problems from the plumes of smoke, land slides from soil erosion, and economic losses. As the fires burn large plumes of smoke begin to saturate the air and make the quality of air very poor for breathing. According to (usgs.gov) over 70% of people were affected by respiratory problems from poor air quality in and around the San Diego area during the 2007 wildfires. Another secondary impact of wildfires is soil erosion. Soil erosion occurs when the land is depleted of valuable nutrients making it susceptible to landslides and mudslides in the wet
Conditions became so harsh that 8 tons of top soil per acre blew away every year for a decade long drought (Ib’d Surviving). The dust clouds that came and went were 200 miles wide,1-2 miles high and caused dirt to pile into dunes (Ib’d Surviving). The most hard hit area in the dust bowl was in “No Man’s Land”, Oklahoma (The Dust Bowl: A film by Ken Burns,2012) as they would call it. During the Dust Bowl people and families had to protect themselves against the harsh dusty conditions with pieces of cloth. Many people contracted diseases from the dust like, cancer and Dust Pneumonia (Ib’d
Haiti also has large rivers that overflow in the rainy seasons and dry up during the dry season. The most recent hurricane/tropical storm was Isaac which hit Haiti August 25, 2012. It dumped massive rain which caused flooding and very strong winds. The last recorded hurricane prior to Isaac, was Tomas in 2010 which caused massed flooding and mudslides. According to CBC News World, “The storm hit Haiti's rural western tip hard, flooding the refugee-camp homes of quake survivors.” (2010).
The droughts and increased heat has had negative impacts on local aquatic invertebrates. Aquatic invertebrates are adapted to survive in a particular range of temperature and habitat. But global warming makes it harder to survive. This could lead to the extinction of several species of aquatic invertebrates which in turn would lead to serious consequences of the ecosystem. Many of the aquatic invertebrates are responsible for keeping the ecosystem clean by feeding on litters.
The conditions can even result in complete destruction of the plants therefore incurring significant losses. Natural disasters like fire n floods can also destroy the plants hence reducing Bolthouse Farms revenue. Unrest among employees and the changing technology is also a threat facing Bolthouse farms. Price changes and money value as well is a threat to Bolthouse
Profits are short lived, with little money staying in the community. Large landowners who have benefited are likely to leave town. While some reap financial benefits, the entire community must pay for damages and to clean up a degraded environment. Runoff and erosion at drilling sites may increase sediment and nutrient loads in streams and rivers. This, in turn, can affect habitat quality for plants and animals that live downstream.
Some agriculture is less reliable” (McKibben 683). These are just more affects that are being caused by global
In complete darkness faced with drought, dust, disease and death residents endure nearly a decade of hell. Between 1932 and 1939, a series of disastrous dust storms struck the southern Great Plains of the United States. Particularly hard hit were western Kansas, eastern Colorado, northeastern New Mexico, and the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles. Though dust storms also occurred elsewhere on the Plains, the effects were far less severe. Soils of this region had always been prone to dust storms in the past, but during the drought of the 1930’s they became far more vulnerable.