Question

Select the statement(s) that accurately predicts the impact of desertification on the ecosystem and food web.

Desertification will cause the loss of fertile land and, in turn, the loss of food production.

Desertification has no major impact on food webs and ecosystems.

Desertification will cause flooding and loss of plant cover.

Desertification will give farmers an empty place to plant and produce crops.

Desertification will cause loss of the soil food web and the plant life it supports.

Answer 1

Accurate statements: 1, 3, and 5.

- 1 (true): Desertification degrades and removes fertile topsoil and reduces water-holding capacity, lowering crop yields and food production.
- 3 (true, with nuance): Desertification causes loss of plant cover; that reduced vegetation and soil structure often increases surface runoff and erosion, raising the risk of flash flooding and sediment flows (though it doesn’t always produce widespread inundation).
- 5 (true): Desertification breaks down the soil food web (microbes, fungi, invertebrates), undermining soil fertility and the plant life that depends on it.

Incorrect statements:
- 2 is false — desertification has major impacts on ecosystems and food webs.
- 4 is false — desertified land is typically less suitable for farming, not a new productive area.