desertification

Desertification is when land that isn't a desert changes into a desert. It happens when plants and animals living on the land die because the land has dried up and doesn't have enough water for them. It happens when people overuse the land, like when people overgraze their animals on the land, which kills the plants and makes the soil dry out. It can also happen when people cut down too many trees, and the land gets more sun than it needs, drying it out.