Effects of Climate Change and Variability on Agricultural Production Systems

About this book

Provides an integrated assessment of global climate change's impact on agriculture at the farm level, in the context of farm level adaptation decisions. Ten agricultural areas in the Upper Midwest region - the heart of the United States' corn belt - were subjected to climate change and changing climate variability scenarios through simulations of future climate using results from general circulation models. Crop growth models, calibrated to the study sites, were used to simulate yields under varying climate conditions. Farm level production and economic analyses were performed to determine what adaptation strategies might be best utilized to maintain production and profitability for producers under conditions of global climate change and changing climate variability. Similar integrated analyses from Australia and Argentina provide comparisons from different regions.

The robust integrated systems methodology for assessing impacts and adaptation opportunities in several different major agricultural regions provides the reader with an example for similar endeavors. Also discussed are guidelines and useful analytical options for input suppliers, agricultural researchers, and agricultural producers to enable risk averting strategies and adaptations as global climate change plays out.

Contents

Contents * List of Contributors * Preface * Acknowledgements * 1. Assessing Global Climate Change's Impact on Agriculture * 2. Issues and Approaches to Climate Change * -3. Overview of Crop Models for Assessment of Crop Production. 4. Expert Panels' Contributions to Climate Change Research * 5. Climate Scenario Construction for Midwest Analysis * 6. Validation of Corn, Soybean, and Wheat Models In DSSAT for Assessing Climate Change Impacts On Midwest Crop Production * 7. Crop Modeling Results under Climate Change for the Midwest USA * 8. Farm-Level Economic Impacts of Climate Change * 9. Climate Variability Impacts on Farm-Level Risk * 10. An Integrated Climate Change Assessment from Argentina * 11. Potential Global Change Impacts on Australia's Wheat Cropping System * 12. Indirect Impacts of Climate Change That Affect Agricultural Production: Soil Erosion * 13. Conclusions * Index.

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