Human survival and prosperity are dependent ultimately on the productivity of the lands on which populations reside. In many parts of the world, however, previously productive lands have become less fertile or completely sterile, failing to meet the basic needs of local populations. Desertification has widely been recognized as one of the several major global environmental problems since the 1970s. According to the United Nations Environmental Programme, drylands that are susceptible to desertification account for more than one-third of the world land area and support more than 20 percent of the global human population. As the rapid growth of the human population continues, demands for resources from these fragile environments increase as well. Therefore, understanding the scope, causes, and mechanisms of desertification and developing sound and effective management and mitigation plans are extremely important for maintaining the ecological, socioeconomic, and political stability of both the dryland areas and the...