Ch. 20 Vocab Sahara and Sahel

removing or clearing away the trees from a forest. __________is often done to clear land for farming or ranching.

groups of herders who move with their animals from place to place in search of pasture and water

a gravel-covered desert plain

a crop that is grown to be sold rather than to be consumed by the farmers and their families

land that is not well suited for growing crops

a change in a way of life to suit new conditions

a wall or hedge that breaks the force of the wind

an unusually long period in which little or no rain falls

dry or lacking rainfall; also a climate or climate zone that is hot and dry all year with very little rain

moisture that falls from the sky as rain, snow, sleet, or hail

a geographic region with too little rainfall to support much plant life; also a vegetation zone

a great sea of sand with tall sand dunes in the Sahara

the process by which land becomes more and more dry until it turns into desert. This may be caused by climate change, human activities, or both.

the practice of clearing one area for farming for a few years and then moving on to another area when the first has lost its fertility

the usually dry bed of a river or stream in a desert or semiarid area

the gradual wearing away of Earth’s surface by the action of wind, water, ice, and gravity

a large area with a particular kind of scenery, such as a desert landscape

a high, rock-covered flatland in the Sahara

any action that relates to the making, buying, and selling of goods and services

an isolated spot in a desert where water is found