This book embodies the results of thirteen years of research in drought-prone rural areas in the semi-arid zone of northern Nigeria. It describes the patterns of adaptive behaviour observed among Hausa, Ful'be and Manga communities in response to recurrent drought in the 1970s and 1980s. The question of desertification is explored in an area where the visible evidence of moving sand dunes is dramatic blame are examined in relation to the field evidence. A critique is offered of deterministic theories and authoritarian solutions. Professor Mortimore demonstrates a parallel between the observable resilience of semi-arid ecosystems and the adaptive strategies of the human communities that inhabit them and suggests policy directions for strengthening that resilience.

Product Description: Throughout history, man has, by over-use, consistently reduced the productive capacity of dry lands. This degradation of one-third of the land area of the globe is, unfortunately, increasing. In recent years, world interest has turned to the problems of pollution of the environment and the impending food shortage as world population grows explosively...read more

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A fully illustrated companion to designing, planting, and caring for a garden in the difficult, low-desert climate of Arizona includes valuable suggestions on selecting plants based on shape, color, texture, contrast, and seasonal interest, along with USDA Hardiness Zone Maps and tips on low-water gardening, plant maintenance, soils, fertilization, and more.

The fact that approximately one-third of the world's land mass is arid desert may be congenial for the camel and the cactus, but not for people. Nevertheless, well over half a billion people, or 15% of the world's population live in arid desert areas. If the world's population were distributed evenly over the land surface, we would expect to find about 30% of the population inhabiting arid desert areas. Does the fact that 'only' 15% of the world's population live in an arid desert environment reflect the harshness of the environment? Or is it a testimony to the adaptability and ingenuity of mankind? Do we view the glass as half-full? Or half-empty? The contributors to Desert Development: Man and Technology in Sparselands adopt the position that the cup is half-full and, in fact, could be filled much more. Indeed, many arid desert zones do thrive with life, and given appropriate technological develop­ ment, such areas could support even greater popUlations. While the dire Malthusian prediction that rapid world population growth exceeds the carrying capacity of existent resource systems has gained popularity (typified by the 1972 Club of Rome book, Limits to Growth), there is a growing body of serious work which rejects such pessimistic 'depletion' models, in favor of models which are mildly optimistic.

Product Description: In the past 20 years, there has been a revolution in plant sciences, as new methods of molecular biology and biophysics have been applied to investigate environmental stress, particularly desiccation tolerance. Today, there is a good level of understanding of how plant cells cope with extreme water stress...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: At last, integrated management of drought on farms is dealt with in one comprehensive book. Although drought is a highly variable, near-universal natural phenomenon which has repercussions on a country's water and food supplies and many other sectors of the economy, there are many ways of avoiding, resisting and mitigating the effects of drought...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: As drought tolerance is a multidirnensional stress, drought tolerance study is a multidisciplinary adventure. In 1992, the network INTERDROUGHT was created with the objective of joining the scientists of the different fields of research involved in drought tolerance study...read more

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Contributed papers of a seminar.

Product Description: Written for students of agriculture and its related disciplines, as well as farmers, this book deals with farming systems in dryland areas, that is, where moisture limits production for at least one part of the growing season. Dryland agriculture based on integrated sheep and cropping farms is important in most mainland states of Australia and examples are also taken from North America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East...read more