Question

why are deserts often sparsely populated? a. humans do not consider deserts attractive landscapes. b. a lack of rain makes growing crops and finding sources of drinking water difficult. c. the sandy and rocky quality of deserts makes construction efforts difficult. d. deserts often do not have valuable natural resources like gold or oil.

Explanation:

To determine why deserts are sparsely populated, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Human perception of desert attractiveness is not a primary reason for sparse population.
• Option B: Deserts have arid climates with little rainfall. This makes agriculture (growing crops) and accessing drinking water extremely difficult, which are essential for human settlement.
• Option C: Construction difficulties are a secondary issue compared to the lack of water and ability to grow food.
• Option D: Deserts can have valuable resources (e.g., some have oil, minerals), so this is incorrect.

Answer:

B. A lack of rain makes growing crops and finding sources of drinking water difficult.