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From camel drivers in the Sahara to nomads on the Mongolian steppe, traditional herders the world over rely on earth's wildest open spaces to support an ancient way of life.

BERLIN, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Up to 50 percent of the world's rangelands are degraded, endangering food security and the wellbeing of billions, warned the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in a report on Tuesday. Rangelands constitute 54 percent of Earth's land cover, account for one sixth of global food production and represent nearly one third of the planet's carbon reservoir,

Climate change, urban expansion, population growth and land conversion are fuelling destruction

From camel drivers in the Sahara to nomads on the Mongolian steppe, traditional herders the world over rely on earth's wildest open spaces to support an ancient way of life. But the expansive plains, tundra and savanna they inhabit are in much greater peril than previously thought, researchers said Tuesday in a major reassessment of the health of these crucial environments. As much as half of all rangelands -- encompassing some of nature's most striking vistas from the Arctic to the tropics, deserts and mountains -- are believed to be degraded, the report said.

In the expansive landscapes that cover over half of Earth's land surface, a quiet crisis is unfolding. The world's rangelands - grasslands, savannas,