Activities such as over-cultivation, over-grazing, deforestation and poor irrigation practices are turning once - fertile soils into barren patches of land. (www2.unccd.int)
The eastern boundary of the Namib Desert is home to tens of thousands of «fairy circles,» barren patches within the grassland. (scientificamerican.com)
With their mound building, the termites reshape the water flow that leads to barren patches surrounded by a ring of tall grasses. (sciencemag.org)