Which process is the gradual transformation of habitable land into desert?

• A. Mantle
• B. Desertification
• C. Pollution
• D. Crust

Answer: (B)

Desertification is the gradual transformation of habitable land into desert-like conditions. This happens when land loses its vegetation and soil quality due to a combination of drought and human activities such as overgrazing, deforestation, and poor irrigation. Without plants to hold the soil, wind and water erosion remove the topsoil, soil structure degrades, and moisture declines, making it harder for new plants to establish. Over time, productive land becomes barren and can no longer support crops or grazing. This pattern is seen in regions like the Sahel and historic droughts such as the Dust Bowl. The other terms refer to different things: the mantle and the crust are layers inside the Earth, not processes that degrade land, and pollution means contamination rather than the large-scale loss of land’s productivity.