over grazing –
first over graze with cattle, then when there is not enough pasture for cattle, bring in sheep after sheep bring in goats.
goats are really good at creating deserts (cows and sheep nibble goats will eat the roots of plants)
also using fire to clear land is another great way to create deserts
Weather patterns across the globe were very different during the last ice age.
Most of Europe and North America were in a permanent winter and Northern Africa in turn got a lot more moisture turning it into fertile land.
As the weather patterns changed the Sahara started to form.
But it appears that Humans may have accelerated the process considerably. There is evidence that humans raising grazing animals on the edges of the growing Sahara ate enough of the plant matter to encourage the growth of the desert. That combined with deforestation destroyed the soils ability to retain moisture.
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