Global land degradation serious, U.N. report finds, but restoration offers hope

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By Elizabeth Pennisi, Science Magazine. 

Excerpt: Restoring 5 billion hectares of land could increase crop yields, slow biodiversity decline, and help curb climate change. ...Reversing global land degradation can alleviate three big problems—the effects of climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity, according to a U.N. report released today. The Global Land Outlook 2 from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification(UNCCD) points out that 40% of Earth’s land has been compromised by development, deforestation, farming, and other human activities. But the report also offers a vision of benefits that could accrue by 2050 if humanity acts to restore landscapes and reverse this toll.…

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