The Role of Ecological Factors in Causing Land Surface Desertification, the Case of Sudan
Mohammed Abd Alla Eltoum *
Department of Environment and Ecology, Faculty of Geographical and Environmental Sciences, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.
Mohamed Salih q Dafalla
Department of Soils and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, Shambat, Sudan.
Ibrahim Saeed q Ibrahim
Department of Soils and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, Shambat, Sudan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Desertification is a serious socio-economic and environmental disaster that affecting many parts of the world. From eco-geographical view desertification could be defined as decrease in land surface phenology (LSP) caused by biotic and a biotic factors. These factors caused several changes in different geographical locations of the earth planet surface, specifically north and south of desert boundary reported by Harisson and Jakson [1] in Sudan. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible factors related with desertification cause or behind this phenomenon in Sudan. The specific objective is to diagnose the role of biotics and a biotics factors in causing desertification so that recommendation remedy will be given. Using eco-geographical analysis the study revealed that the area in north desert boundary predicted in previous study by Eltoum and Dafalla [2] as risk areas was converted in to desert like condition. These changes are continuing and moving south as discovered by Stebbing [3] and suggested by Lampery [4] and Salih [5]. The study concluded that slow onset complex desertification disaster creeping to Sudan. Populations of Sudan may be disappearing within the next 50 years. There for, an urgent need of immediate afforestation program is present.
Keywords: Ecological, land surface, desert creeping, RS, GIS