Access to Geography: Arid and Semi Arid Environments

The "Access to Geography" series... has hit the right level and style for A-level students as well as lay readers. It offers a general introduction to key topics, case studies, summaries and exercises, and plentiful subheadings and bullet-points help easy navigation. (TES Teacher)

... replete with very useful case studies that relate to an admirably wide range of desert environments and issues... It also displays the inherent unity of geography, providing a blend of physical and human issues and dealing with the environment, landscape regional differences and land use within the context of aridity. (Geography)

Arid and Semi-Arid Environments focuses upon major themes in the study of desert landscapes, processes and landforms. The book considers the physical causes of aridity, the desert hydrological cycle and the problems of water supply. Particular attention is paid to desert ecosystems and how they are related to aridity. A detailed study is made of the wide range of landforms which are unique to desert areas and how they were formed. Evidence in the landscape of past climates is examined in relation to the current debate on desertification.