Global warming is projected to have significant impacts on conditions affecting agriculture, including temperature, precipitation and glacial run-off. These conditions determine the carrying capacity of the biosphere to produce enough food for the human population and domesticated animals. Any short-term fluctuations of the climate can have dramatic effects on the agricultural productivity. Thus, the climate has a direct influence on food supply. Rising carbon dioxide levels would also have effects, both detrimental and beneficial, on crop yields. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Global mean surface temperatures 1850 to 2006 Mean surface temperature anomalies during the period 1995 to 2004 with respect to the average temperatures from 1940 to 1980 Global warming is the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earths atmosphere and oceans in recent decades and the projected... Fig. ... Carrying capacity is the population level that can be supported for an organism, given the quantity of food, habitat, water and other life infrastructure present. ... A false-color composite of global oceanic and terrestrial photoautotroph abundance, from September 1997 to August 2000. ... Food distribution is a vital factor in public nutrition. ... Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ...

A positive effect of rising poop to the concentrations would be increased agricultural yields, because of the role of carbon dioxide in photosynthesis. The overall effect on agriculture will depend on the balance of the beneficial and detrimental effects.

Assessment of the effects of global climate changes on agriculture might help to properly anticipate and adapt farming to maximize agricultural production. Farmlands in Hebei province, China. ...

Background

Assessment: global vs local

Despite technological advances, such as improved varieties, genetically modified organisms, and irrigation systems, weather is still a key factor in agricultural productivity, as well as soil properties and natural communities. The effect of climate on agriculture is related to variabilities in local climates rather than in global climate patterns. Consequently, agronomists consider any assessment has to be individually consider each local area. ... GMO is an abbreviation with several meanings: Genetically modified organism, an organism the genetic material of which has been altered using recombinant DNA technology Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad (AAR reporting mark GMO), an American railroad carrier This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page... High-altitude aerial view of irrigation in the Heart of the Sahara ( ) Irrigation is the replacement or supplementation of rainfall with water from another source in order to grow crops or plants. ... Weather is a term that encompasses phenomena in the atmosphere of a planet. ... Loess field in Germany Surface-water-gley developed in glacial till, Northern Ireland Soil comprising the pedosphere is positioned at the interface of the lithosphere and biosphere with the atmosphere and hydrosphere. ... Biota can refer to several things: The plant and animal life of a region; see biota (ecology) A municipality in Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain; see Biota (municipality) A superdomain in taxonomy; see Biota (taxonomy) Biota Holdings, the Australian biotech company This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists... Agricultural science (also called agronomy) is a broad multidisciplinary field that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic, and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. ... An ecoregion, sometimes called a bioregion, is a relatively large area of land or water that contains a geographically distinct assemblage of natural communities. ...

On the other hand, agricultural trade has grown in recent years, and now provides significant amounts of food, on a national level to major importing countries, as well as comfortable income to exporting ones. The international aspect of trade and security in terms of food implies the need to also consider the effects of climate change on a global scale. Agricultural economics applies the principles of economics to the production of crops and livestock. ... IMF 2005 figures of total GDP of nominal compared to PPP. Absolute, not adjusted for population. ... The term climate change is used to refer to changes in the Earths climate. ...

IPCC

The 2001 IPCC Third Assessment Report concluded that the poorest countries would be hardest hit, with reductions in crop yields in most tropical and sub-tropical regions due to decreased water availability, and new or changed insect pest incidence. In Africa and Latin America many rainfed crops are near their maximum temperature tolerance, so that yields are likely to fall sharply for even small climate changes; falls in agricultural productivity of up to 30% over the 21st century are projected. Marine life and the fishing industry will also be severely affected in some places. IPCC is science authority for the UNFCCC The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established in 1988 by two United Nations organizations, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to assess the risk of human-induced climate change. The Panel is open to all... The Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was issued in 2001. ...

Shortage in grain production

Crops such as these sunflowers, can be affected by severe drought conditions in Australia

Between 1996 and 2003, grain production has stabilized slightly over 1800 millions of tons. In 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003, grain stocks have been dropping, resulting in a global grain harvest that was short of consumption by 93 millions of tons in 2003. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2080x1544, 722 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Darling Downs, Queensland Agriculture in Australia User:DavidMarsh/gallery Metadata This file contains additional information, probably... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2080x1544, 722 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Darling Downs, Queensland Agriculture in Australia User:DavidMarsh/gallery Metadata This file contains additional information, probably... Binomial name Helianthus annuus L. The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an annual plant native to the Americas in the family Asteraceae, with a large flowering head (inflorescence). ... A drought is a period of time when there is not enough water to support agricultural, urban, human, or environmental water needs. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about cereals in general. ... Look up ton in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Crops have been harvested by hand throughout most of human history. ... In economics, consumption refers to the final use of goods and services to provide utility. ...

The earth's average temperature has been rising since the late 1970s, with the three warmest years on record coming in the last five years. In 2002, India and the United States suffered sharp harvest reductions because of record temperatures and drought. In 2003 Europe suffered very low rainfall throughout spring and summer, and a record level of heat damaged most crops from the United Kingdom and France in the Western Europe through Ukraine in the East. Bread prices have been rising in several countries in the region. (see w:fr:canicule 2003). The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... A drought is a period of time when there is not enough water to support agricultural, urban, human, or environmental water needs. ... This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ... In meteorology, precipitation is any kind of water that falls from the sky as part of the weather. ... Spring is one of the four seasons of temperate zones, the transition from winter into summer. ... Summer is a season of the year that is defined as beginning on June 21st, and ending in September in the Northern Hemisphere. ... Farmlands in Hebei province, China. ... A common post-WWII understanding of Western Europe Western Europe in its most common understanding is a socio-political concept coined and used during the Cold War. ... Map of Eastern Europe Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium orange),members of the Warsaw pact (light orange), and other former Communist regimes not aligned with Moscow (lightest orange). ... Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... In economics and business, the price is the assigned numerical monetary value of a good, service or asset. ...

Increases in agricultural production

Between 2003 and 2004 worldwide wheat production increased 13%, oilseed production increased 16%, rice production increased 3%, and cotton production increased 23%. [1] although this may not be directly related to global warming.

Models and scenarios used to estimate global climate change consequences

Some major limitations to climate changes consequences estimates are related to the models that are being used. The climate models do not have a true ability to give accurate projections because of inadequate understanding of natural processes and the limitation of computing power, and the sheer amount of variables which bring in the need to invoke chaos theory. As a consequence, the assessment of possible effects of climate changes are based on estimations. Most models are also not able yet to provide reliable projections of changes in climate variability on a local scale, or in frequency of exceptional events such as storms and drought. For example, there tends to be a lack of consensus among experts in prediction of regional soil moisture changes. Climate models use quantitative methods to simulate the interactions of the atmosphere, oceans, land surface, and ice. ... In computer science and mathematics, a variable (IPA pronunciation: ) (sometimes called a pronumeral) is a symbolic representation denoting a quantity or expression. ... A plot of the trajectory Lorenz system for values r = 28, σ = 10, b = 8/3 In mathematics and physics, chaos theory describes the behavior of certain nonlinear dynamical systems that under certain conditions exhibit a phenomenon known as chaos. ... Trends in natural disasters, Pascal Peduzzi (2004) Is climate change increasing the frequency of hazardous events? Environment Times UNEP/GRID-Arendal Extreme weather includes weather phenomena that are at the extremes of the historical distribution, especially severe or unseasonal weather. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Loess field in Germany Surface-water-gley developed in glacial till, Northern Ireland Soil comprising the pedosphere is positioned at the interface of the lithosphere and biosphere with the atmosphere and hydrosphere. ...

Crop development models

In order to further study effects of global warming on agriculture, other types of models, such as crop development models, yield prediction, quantities of water or fertilizer consumed, can be used. Such models condense the knowledge accumulated of the climate, soil, and effects observed of the results of various agricultural practices. They thus could make it possible to test strategies of adaptation to modifications of the environment. Farming, ploughing rice paddy, in Indonesia Agriculture is the process of producing food, feed, fiber and other desired products by the cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals (livestock). ...

Because these models are necessarily simplifying natural conditions (often based on the assumption that weeds, disease and insect pests are controlled), it is not clear whether the results they give will have an in-field reality. However, some results are partly validated with an increasing number of experimental results. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The term disease refers to an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs function. ... Larval form of some beetle is damaging specimen of Sceliphron destillatorius in entomogical collection. ...

Other types of biological models

Other models, such as insect and disease development models based on climate projections are also used (for example simulation of aphid reproduction or septoria (cereal fungal disease) development). Families There are 10 families: Adelgidae - adelgids, conifer aphids, Adelges cooleyi, Hemlock Wolly Adelgid, Adelges piceae Anoeciidae Aphididae Drepanosiphidae Homomasagymibutae Greenideidae Hormaphididae Lachnidae Mindaridae Pemphigidae Phloeomyzidae Phylloxeridae Thelaxidae Aphids, also known as greenfly, blackfly or plant lice, are minute plant-feeding insects in the superfamily Aphidoidea in the homopterous division... Septoria is a fungal disease due to Septoria tritici. ...

Scenarios are used in order to estimate climate changes effects on crop development and yield. Each scenario is defined as a set of meteorological variables, based on generally accepted projections. For example, many models are running simulations based on doubled carbon dioxide projections, temperatures raise ranging from 1°C up to 5°C, and with rainfall levels an increase or decrease of 20%. Other parameters may include humidity, wind, and solar activity. Scenarios of crop models are testing farm-level adaptation, such as sowing date shift, climate adapted species (vernalisation need, heat and cold resistance), irrigation and fertilizer adaptation, resistance to disease. Most developed models are about wheat, maize, rice and soybean. Meteorology is the scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and forecasting. ... Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ... Fig. ... Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). ... In meteorology, precipitation is any kind of water that falls from the sky as part of the weather. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... 20 years of solar irradiance data from satellites Solar variation refers to fluctuation in the amount of energy emitted by the Sun. ... Vernalization is a requirement of some temperate cereal crops and trees for a period of low winter temperature to initiate or accelerate the flowering process. ... High-altitude aerial view of irrigation in the Heart of the Sahara ( ) Irrigation is the replacement or supplementation of rainfall with water from another source in order to grow crops or plants. ... Species T. aestivum T. boeoticum T. compactum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum T. timopheevii References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 For the indie rock group see: Wheat (band). ... “Corn” redirects here. ... Species Oryza glaberrima Oryza sativa Brown basmati rice Terrace of paddy fields in Yunnan Province, southern China. ... Binomial name Glycine max (L.) Merr. ...

Consequences of potential global climate changes on agricultural production

Many scientists hold the position that agricultural shifts are likely. The possible effects proposed are listed below:

The first direct effect is the composition of the earth atmosphere, such the amount of carbon dioxide and ozone. Gases such as methane, nitrogen dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons, however, are commonly believed not to have any effect on physiological processes. Some indirect effects are climate parameters resulting from climate change, such as temperature, insolation, rainfall, and humidity. Other indirect effects include the side effects due to the climatic changes, such as the increase of the sea level, changes in ocean currents, or tornadoes. For other uses, see Ozone (disambiguation). ... Methane is a chemical compound with the molecular formula CH4. ... [1] R-phrases , S-phrases , , , , , Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ... For other uses, see CFC (disambiguation). ... TOA and surface insolation, annual mean Insolation is the incoming solar radiation that reaches a planet and its atmosphere or, by extension, any object exposed to solar rays, such as watts per square meter of Sun-facing cross section, across the entire electromagnetic spectrum; most of that power is in... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ... For the album by Ocean Colour Scene, see North Atlantic Drift (album) The Gulf Stream is orange and yellow in this representation of water temperatures of the Atlantic. ... A tornado in central Oklahoma. ...

All these influences may combine negatively or positively - the assessment of these effects depends on whether one considers annuals crops (cereals and legumes) or herbaceous perennial cultures (fodder, meadows) or other cultures such as vine or fruit trees. The effects are also different depending on the latitude. In temperate countries, effects are found less negative or even rather beneficial, while in tropical and desertic countries they tend to be adverse. Effects also depend on altitude, for example, places at higher altitudes tend to benefit from a warmer temperature. Farmlands in Hebei province, China. ... Cereal crops are mostly grasses cultivated for their edible seeds (actually a fruit called a grain, technically a caryopsis). ... Varieties of soybean seeds, a popular legume The term legume has two closely related meanings in botany, a situation encountered with many botanical common names of useful plants whereby an applied name can refer to either the plant itself, or to the edible fruit (or useful part). ... This article is about the plants used in cooking and medicine. ... Red Valerian, a perennial plant. ... In biology, a culture refers to a growth of bacteria or other microorganisms which is grown in a laboratory. ... Fodder growing from barley In agriculture, fodder or animal feed is any foodstuff that is used specifically to feed livestock, such as cattle, sheep, chickens and pigs. ... A meadow is a habitat of rolling or flat terrain where grasses predominate. ... Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi, , gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the equator. ... In geography, temperate latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. ... The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... This article is about arid terrain. ...

Climate change induced by increasing greenhouse gases is likely to affect crops differently from region to region. For example, average crop yield is expected to drop down to 50% in Pakistan according to the UKMO scenario whereas corn production in Europe is expected to grow up to 25% in optimum hydrologic conditions. Top: Increasing atmospheric CO2 levels as measured in the atmosphere and ice cores. ... The new building on the edge of Exeter The Met Office (originally an abbreviation for Meteorological Office, but now the official name in itself), which has its headquarters at Exeter in Devon, is the UKs national weather service. ... Water covers 70% of the Earths surface. ...

More favourable effects on yield tend to depend to a large extent on realization of the potentially beneficial effects of carbon dioxide on crop growth and increase of efficiency in water use. Decrease in potential yields is likely to be caused by shortening of the growing period, decrease in water availability and poor vernalization.

Temperature potential effect on growing period

Duration of crop growth cycles are above all, related to temperature. An increase in temperature will speed up development. In the case of an annual crop, the duration between sowing and harvesting will shorten (for example, the duration in order to harvest corn could shorten between one and four weeks). The shortening of such a cycle would have an adverse effect on productivity because senescence would occur sooner. The term cell growth is used in two different ways in biology. ... A life cycle is a period involving one generation of an organism through means of reproduction, whether through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction. ... Sowing is the process of planting seeds. ... This article is about gathering crops. ... It has been suggested that Longevity genes be merged into this article or section. ...

Potential effect of atmospheric carbon dioxide on yield

Carbon dioxide is essential to plant growth. Rising CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere can have both positive and negative consequences. Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ...

Increased CO₂ is expected to have positive physiological effects by increasing the rate of photosynthesis. Currently, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is 380 parts per million. In comparison, the amount of oxygen is 210,000 ppm. This means that often plants may be starved of carbon dioxide, being outnumbered by the photosynthetic pollutant oxygen. The effects of an increase in carbon dioxide would be higher on C3 crops (such as wheat) than on C4 crops (such as maize), because the former is more susceptible to carbon dioxide shortage. Under optimum conditions of temperature and humidity, the yield increase could reach 36%, if the levels of carbon dioxide are doubled.^{[citation needed]} The leaf is the primary site of photosynthesis in plants. ... Parts per million (ppm) is a measure of concentration that is used where low levels of concentration are significant. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Standard atomic weight 15. ... C3 carbon fixation is a pathway for carbon fixation in photosynthesis. ... Species T. aestivum T. boeoticum T. compactum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum T. timopheevii References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 For the indie rock group see: Wheat (band). ... For other meanings of C4, see C4 (disambiguation) C4 carbon fixation is a common metabolic pathway found in land [[plant](C4 plants). ... “Corn” redirects here. ...

Plants take in CO₂ through multiple tiny pores in their leaves called stomata. These pores can open or close in response to the plant's requirements. A higher ambient level of carbon dioxide allows plants to respire CO₂ more readily with less stomatal opening. Plants lose water due to transpiration through open stomata, so they are adapted to conserve water by opening the stomata only as necessary. This is not about surgically created bowel openings; see stoma (medicine) In botany, a stoma (also stomate; plural stomata) is a tiny opening or pore, found mostly on the undersurface of a plant leaf, and used for gas exchange. ... Evapotranspiration (ET) is the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration. ...

The stomata also serve to allow the plant to eliminate oxygen which is the by-product of photosynthesis. Higher carbon dioxide levels within cells can allow the stomata to be closed longer without suffering photorespiration, an effect of too much oxygen in ratio to carbon dioxide in the plant cell's chloroplasts. For more details see Calvin Cycle. Photorespiration refers to the alternate pathway for production of Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate by Rubisco, the main enzyme of the Dark reactions of photosynthesis (also known as the Calvin cycle or the Primary Carbon Reduction (PCR) cycle). ... Plant cell structure Plant cells are quite different from the cells of the other eukaryotic kingdoms organisms. ... Chloroplasts are organelles found in plant cells and eukaryotic algae that conduct photosynthesis. ... Overview of the Calvin cycle and carbon fixation The Calvin cycle (or Calvin-Benson cycle or carbon fixation) is a series of biochemical reactions that takes place in the stroma of chloroplasts in photosynthetic organisms. ...

However, other studies also show a change in harvest quality. The growth improvement in C3 plants could favor vegetative biomass on grain biomass; thus leading to a decrease in grain production yield. C3 carbon fixation is a pathway for carbon fixation in photosynthesis. ... Switchgrass, a hardy plant used in the biofuel industry in the United States Rice chaff. ...

Carbon dioxide is believed by many scientists to be potentially responsible of increase in agricultural production: a 10-15 % increase for wheat and soybean, 8% for corn and rice for a +2°C scenario on average. However, these results disregard great differences among countries, not least between varying climates.^{[citation needed]}

Effect on quality

According to the IPCC's TAR, "The importance of climate change impacts on grain and forage quality emerges from new research. For rice, the amylose content of the grain--a major determinant of cooking quality--is increased under elevated CO₂" (Conroy et al., 1994). Cooked rice grain from plants grown in high-CO2 environments would be firmer than that from today's plants. However, concentrations of iron and zinc, which are important for human nutrition, would be lower (Seneweera and Conroy, 1997). Moreover, the protein content of the grain decreases under combined increases of temperature and CO₂ (Ziska et al., 1997)."[2]

Studies have shown that higher CO₂ levels lead to reduced plant uptake of nitrogen (and a smaller number showing the same for trace elements such as zinc) resulting in crops with lower nutritional value.[3] [4] This would primarily impact on populations in poorer countries less able to compensate by eating more food, more varied diets, or possibly taking supplements.

Reduced nitrogen content in grazing plants has also been shown to reduce animal productivity in sheep, which depend on microbes in their gut to digest plants, which in turn depend on nitrogen intake.[5]

Global warming and water distribution

Global warming would be able to modify the global distribution of water, possibly leading to several effects, both detrimental and beneficial.

Temporal variability and forecasting of the climate

If global warming happens, many believe the general ability to predict weather patterns will decrease, due to more extreme weather. This would make it more difficult to plan agricultural actions. If extreme climatic conditions become more frequent, there would be more intense rainfall, droughts and heat spells in different parts of the globe or the year.

Agricultural surfaces and climate changes

Climate change is likely to increase the amount of arable land near the poles by reduction of the amount of frozen lands. Sea levels are expected to get up to one meter higher by 2100, though this projection is disputed. Rise in sea level would result in agricultural land loss, in particular in areas such as South East Asia. Erosion, submergence of shorelines, salinity of the water table due to the increased sea levels, could mainly affect agriculture through inundation of low-lying lands. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ... 2100 can refer to either: The year at the end of the 21st century. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. For erosion as understood by materials science, see Erosion (materials science) For erosion as an English analogy, see Erosion (figurative) For erosion as an operation of Mathematical morphology, see Erosion (morphology) Erosion is the displacement of solids (soil... Sea level measurements from 23 long tide gauge records in geologically stable environments show a rise of around 8 inches per century (2 mm/year). ... Annual mean sea surface salinity for the World Ocean. ... Cross section showing the water table varying with surface topography as well as a perched water table The water table or phreatic surface is the surface where the water pressure is equal to atmospheric pressure. ... A flood (in Old English flod, a word common to Teutonic languages; compare German Flut, Dutch vloed from the same root as is seen in flow, float) is an overflow of water, an expanse of water submerging land, a deluge. ... This article needs to be wikified. ...

Erosion and fertility

With global warming, soil degradation is more likely to occur, and soil fertility would probably be affected by global warming. However, due to the fact that the ratio of carbon to nitrogen is a constant, a doubling of carbon is likely to imply a higher storage of nitrogen in soils as nitrates, thus providing higher fertilizing elements for plants, providing better yields. The average needs for nitrogen could decrease, and give the opportunity of changing often costly fertilisation strategies. Retrogression and degradation are two regressive evolution processes associated with the loss of equilibrium of a stable soil. ... Fertility is a measure of reproduction: the number of children born per couple, person or population. ... In mathematics and the mathematical sciences, a constant is a fixed, but possibly unspecified, value. ... General Name, Symbol, Number nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15, 2, p Appearance colorless gas Standard atomic weight 14. ... An electrostatic potential map of the nitrate ion. ... Fertilisation or fertilization (also known as conception, fecundation and syngamy), is fusion of gametes to form a new organism of the same species. ...

Due to the extremes of climate that would result, the increase in precipitations would probably result in greater risks of erosion, according to the intensity of the rain. The possible evolution of the organic matter in the soil is a highly contested issue: while the increase in the temperature would induce a greater rate in the production of minerals, lessening the soil organic matter content, the atmospheric CO₂ concentration would tend to increase it. Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. For erosion as understood by materials science, see Erosion (materials science) For erosion as an English analogy, see Erosion (figurative) For erosion as an operation of Mathematical morphology, see Erosion (morphology) Erosion is the displacement of solids (soil... Rain is a source of precipitation which forms when separate drops of water fall to the Earths surface from clouds. ... Organic has several meanings and related topics. ... Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes. ...

Potential effects of global climate change on pests, diseases and weeds

A very important point to consider is that weeds would undergo the same acceleration of cycle as cultivated crops, and would also benefit from carbonaceous fertilization. Since most weeds are C3 plants, they are likely to compete even more than now against C4 crops such as corn. However, on the other hand, some results make it possible to think that weedkillers could gain in effectiveness with the temperature increase.^{[citation needed]} This article does not cite its references or sources. ... A herbicide is a pesticide used to kill unwanted plants. ...

Global warming would cause an increase in rainfall in some areas, which would lead to an increase of atmospheric humidity and the duration of the wet seasons. Combined with higher temperatures, these could favor the development of fungal diseases. Similarly, because of higher temperatures and humidity, there could be an increased pressure from insects and disease vectors. A wet season or rainy season is a season in which the average rainfall in a region is significantly increased. ... Divisions Chytridiomycota Zygomycota Ascomycota Basidiomycota The Fungi (singular: fungus) are a large group of organisms ranked as a kingdom within the Domain Eukaryota. ... Orders See taxonomy Insects (Class Insecta) are a major group of arthropods and the most diverse group of animals on the Earth, with over a million described species—more than all other animal groups combined. ... Traditionally in medicine, a vector is an organism that does not cause disease itself but which spreads infection by conveying pathogens from one host to another. ...

Ozone and UV-B

Some scientists think agriculture could be affected by any decrease in stratospheric ozone, which could increase biologically dangerous ultraviolet radiation B. Excess ultraviolet radiation B can directly effect plant physiology and cause massive amounts of mutations, and indirectly through changed pollinator behavior, though such changes are difficult to quantify. [6] However, it has not yet been ascertained whether an increase in greenhouse gases would decrease stratospheric ozone levels. For other uses, see Ozone (disambiguation). ... UV redirects here. ... Leonardo da Vincis Vitruvian Man, an important early achievement in the study of physiology. ... It has been suggested that mutant be merged into this article or section. ... A pollinator is the agent that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish fertilization or syngamy of the female gamete in the ovule of the flower by the male gamete from the pollen grain. ...

In addition, a possible effect of rising temperatures is significantly higher levels of ground-level ozone, which would substantially lower yields.[7]

Conclusions

In the long run, the climatic change could affect agriculture in several ways :

• productivity, in terms of quantity and quality of crops
• agricultural practices, through changes of water use (irrigation) and agricultural inputs such as herbicides, insecticides and fertilizers
• environmental effects, in particular in relation of frequency and intensity of soil drainage (leading to nitrogen leaching), soil erosion, reduction of crop diversity
• rural space, through the loss of previously cultivated lands, land speculation, land renunciation, and hydraulic amenities.

They are large uncertainties to uncover, particularly because there is lack of information on many specific local regions, and include the uncertainties on magnitude of climate change, the effects of technological changes on productivity, global food demands, and the numerous possibilities of adaptation. Quantity is a kind of property which exists as magnitude or multitude. ... For the Talib Kweli album Quality (album) Quality can refer to a. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... An insecticide is a pesticide used against insects in all developmental forms. ... Spreading manure, an organic fertilizer Fertilizers (British English fertilisers) are compounds given to plants to promote growth; they are usually applied either via the soil, for uptake by plant roots, or by foliar feeding, for uptake through leaves. ... Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given area. ... Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. Erosion is the displacement of solids (soil, mud, rock, and so forth) by the agents of wind, water, ice, or movement in response to gravity. ... Rainforests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity is the variation of taxonomic life forms within a given ecosystem, biome or for the entire Earth. ... Speculation involves the buying, holding, and selling of stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, collectibles, real estate, derivatives or any valuable financial instrument to profit from fluctuations in its price as opposed to buying it for use or for income via methods such as dividends or interest. ...

Most agronomists believe that agricultural production will be mostly affected by the severity and pace of climate change, not so much by gradual trends in climate. If change is gradual, there will be enough time for biota adjustement. Rapid climate change, however, could harm agriculture in many countries, especially those that are already suffering from rather poor soil and climate conditions, because there is less time for optimum natural selection and adaption. The adoption of efficient new techniques tends to be far from obvious. Some believe developed nations are too well-adapted to the present climate. developing nations also would often have extensive social or technical constraints that prevent them from achieving sustainable production. Biota can refer to several things: The plant and animal life of a region; see biota (ecology) A municipality in Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain; see Biota (municipality) A superdomain in taxonomy; see Biota (taxonomy) Biota Holdings, the Australian biotech company This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists... Darwins illustrations of beak variation in the finches of the Galápagos Islands, which hold 13 closely related species that differ most markedly in the shape of their beaks. ... A developed country is a country that is technologically advanced and that enjoys a relatively high standard of living. ... A developing country is a country with low average income compared to the world average. ... Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals: environmental stewardship, farm profitability, and prosperous farming communities. ...

See also

• Land Allocation Decision Support System - a research tool that is used to test how climate change may affect agriculture (eg. yield and quality).

LADSS or Land Allocation Decision Support System, is an agricultural land use planning tool being developed at The Macaulay Institute. ...

References

• Fischer G., Shah M. and van Velthuizen H. (2002) "Climate Change and Agricultural Vulnerability". International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. Report prepared under UN Institutional Contract Agreement 1113 for World Summit on Sustainable Development. Laxenburg, Austria

External links

• LADSS - Climate Change and Agriculture - Are we asking the right questions?
• John Vidal and Tim Radford, The Guardian, June 30, 2005, One in six countries facing food shortage