5.10

• land cover change - the study of how land is used and the impact of changing land use
• desertification - when the land becomes less fertile and less able to support life due to alteration of natural vegetation
• salinization - when salts from water used by plants remain in the soil
• terrace farming - when farmers build a series of steps into the side of a hill

  • amount of arable land increases in area with steep hillsides
  • the land collects rainfall that sustains the crops rather than allowing it to run down a sloped hillside
  • the reduction in water running down a hillside limits soil erosion

  however, if terraces aren’t carefully maintained, a heavy rainfall can cause disastrous and deadly mudslides
• irrigation - the process of applying controlled amounts of water to crops using dams, canals, pipes, sprinkler systems, or other manufactured devices rather than relying on just rainfall
• center-pivot irrigation - watering equipment rotates around a pivot and delivers specific amounts of water, fertilizer, or pesticides to the field
• wetlands - areas of land that are covered by water for part of the year
• deforestation - the removal of trees from an area of land, usually for agricultural or industrial purposes
• slash-and-burn agriculture - a type of farming that involves clearing land of vegetation and burning it to grow crops