广播电视英语短句 第 70 课：流失土壤-4

Land sometimes becomes desert and can no longer support plants. This process is called desertification. 土地有时会变成沙漠并且再也不能供养植物，这个过程就叫做沙漠化。

A study published earlier this year suggested that climate change has been a major cause of this in China. 今年初公布的一项调查暗示，气候变化是沙漠化的主要原因。

The paper appeared in Earth-Science Reviews in June. 这篇论文发表在6月份的《地球科学评论》期刊上。

Scientists say more than ninety percent of grasslands in northern China have decreased in quality as a result of desertification. 科学家说，由于沙漠化，中国北部90%多的草原在质量上已经减少。