What connection is between poor soil and deforestation? What is desertification?

More soil washes and blows away when there are fewer trees to anchor the soil with their roots and prevent erosion; this lowers the amount of soil that is available for trees to grow in, which further lowers the number of trees that grow in a given area.

This is known as positive feedback control, and if it persists for an extended period of time, it can result in desertification, a state in which there is no more land available for trees to grow.

Poor soil can be a contributing factor to deforestation because it reduces the productivity of the land, making it less suitable for agriculture or other uses. When soil quality declines due to erosion, nutrient depletion, or other factors, farmers may clear forests to access new land with better soil quality, leading to deforestation.

Desertification is the process by which fertile land becomes increasingly arid and degraded, typically as a result of factors such as deforestation, overgrazing, improper agricultural practices, and climate change. This process can lead to the expansion of deserts and the loss of vegetation, biodiversity, and ecosystem services, ultimately threatening the livelihoods of people who depend on the affected land for food and resources.