New Climate Reports Lay Down a Challenge
Two new climate science reports were released last fall and highlight the continuing peril of climate change.
The first new report, Global Warming of 1.5 °C, was produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Climate Change Is Impacting Northeast Agriculture’s “Bottom Line”
But is there anything we can do about it?
There may be little that individual producers can do to change the climate, but there are ways to adapt quickly to anticipated weather-related risks. So, what are some of the risks? Recent scientific information has strengthened the need to adapt to change.
UVM Dairy Farming Research
Research at dairy farms in Vermont shows how management practices can affect water quality, economics, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Agriculture is a common land use for the well-drained and productive soils of Vermont’s Winooski floodplain. Intense rain and flooding events are increasing throughout the Northeast as the climate changes. If not managed, this trend will worsen nutrient loss, runoff, and erosion from farm fields. More nutrient loss and erosion leads to poorer water quality within watersheds.
Woodman Horticultural Research Farm at UNH
Climate change poses both risks and opportunities for Northeast growers.
A trend toward shorter, milder winters leads to longer growing seasons and potential for new crops and varieties for local markets. However, these seasonal shifts may also benefit many insect pests and be harmful for some pollinator species. Researchers from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) are looking at ways that growers might adapt to and take advantage of current and expected climate conditions. Check out the research taking place at this New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station farm.
Partner Highlight: NERA
The Northeastern Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (NERA) represents and promotes the research efforts of regional Land-grant universities and organizations.
NERA and its component Land Grant Universities are key Northeast Climate Hub partners. They significantly contribute to the Hub mission of aiding the region’s farmers and foresters to confidently make climate-informed decisions.
West Texas Mesonate Agro-Climate Monitor
The “Select Precipitation Variable’ dropdown control allows you to plot three variables: An average of the cumulative precipitation for the 5 nearest Mesonet stations calculated for the current year (plotted in white) and for each of the past 10 years.
How Climate Change Impacts Forests in the Mid-Atlantic
The USDA Forest Service has published a new report, Mid-Atlantic Forest Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment and Synthesis: A report from the Mid-Atlantic Climate Change Response Framework Project.
This report summarizes how climate change is already affecting the forests across the Mid-Atlantic region, including increasing damage from heavy precipitation events, extreme heat, and salt water intrusion.