Chemistry
Topic:
Impact of Climate change on agriculture
Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture
Climate change results in changes in the climate system of the earth to the point of altering the weather patterns thus causing substantial effects on agriculture. Agriculture is dependent on many factors and more so the climate since the growing of crops is dependent on factors of climate such as water, temperature, and winds. Climate change entails the long term change in the expected patterns of average weather of a section or the whole earth over a significant period. Under climate change the climate experiences abnormal variations thus causing a different variation on different parts of the earth such as changes in precipitation, projected increases in temperature, flooding or reduction of water and other extreme weather conditions that do not support weather events. Climate changes cause weather patterns not to be proportional such that irregular and amounts of temperature, winds, and water levels are experienced that affecting agriculture. Agriculture is highly affected by climate change with effects felt from the reduction in food quality, reduction inaccessibility of food and disruption of food availability. Climate change adversely affects agriculture with the effects felt on the food supply (crops, livestock, and fisheries) thus affection communities and regions across the world and thus sustainable solution needs to be created to reverse climate change to a normal or favorable climate in the interest of supporting agriculture.
Climate change Impact on Crops
Crops have a substantial negative impact on crops across the globe thus affecting the supply of people for the ever-growing population. According to Iglesias et al., (2012) food grown in the US and other places across the globe is critical in supplying the different populations with food for consumption. However, the level of food supply and availability has been decreasing or is irregular and thus does not meet the population consumption needs. Crops productivity and levels have been affected by the changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide, temperature as well as the intensity and frequency of extreme weather conditions. All crops grow appropriately when they are subjected to their optimum climate conditions such as optimum temperatures, warm climate, optimum water levels, and appropriate winds to facilitate pollination.
The levels of carbon dioxide have different impacts on the yields as a result of climate variations. Laboratory experiments show that increased levels of carbon dioxide enhance the growth of plants. However, in the case, that other factors enhancing growth such as nutrients, water, ozone, and temperatures are not present the crop yields are negatively affected. Therefore, high levels of carbon dioxide and coupled with other factors in their right quantity results in increased yield but if other factors are not in their right quantities then there will be a reduction in yield. Additi9nall, high levels of CO2 have been associated with reduced nitrogen and protein content soybean and alfalfa plant thus reduction in the quality of grains. As the forage and grain quality decrease further reduces rangeland and pasture for live stocks.
Climate change further results in extreme precipitation and temperatures thus negatively affecting crop production. Extreme climates conditions such as floods and drought cause harm on crops thus reducing yield. For instance in the period 2010 and 2012 the high night temperature experienced in the United States substantially affected the corn yield thus resulting in losses among the farmers (Iglesias et al., 2012). Similarly, drought is a challenge especially in areas with rising summer temperatures since soils become dry making it impossible to support plant growth. The dryness further reduces the water content such that such plants cannot be appropriately irrigated. Therefore, extreme temperatures disrupt the process of crops grown to the extent that yield is negatively affected.
Changes in climate result to increased levels of CO2 wetter climates or warmer temperatures that support new or existing fungi, pest and weeds that negatively affect the growing crops leading to a reduction in yields (Iglesias et al., 2012). As the climatic conditions worsen they result in increased pests and weeds and the government and farmers make a substantial investment in fighting pests and weeds. Therefore, climatic changes introduce new species of pests and weeds or increase the existing ones thus significantly reducing the crop yield.
Climate change impact on livestock
The climate change affects livestock both directly and indirectly thus reducing the amount of food available for consumption. Meat and poultry are produced through consistent and effective agricultural practices. However, climate change affects their production (Thornton et al., 2009). Climate change has increased the levels or instances of heat waves that could threaten livestock existence. Heatwaves have both direct and indirect impacts on the live tock as it reduces the food used to feed them or increased vulnerability to diseases thus a reduction in the milk production or fertility levels.
Climate change further results in a prolonged drought that affects the feeds and pasture for livestock consumption. The long drought is experienced in areas reduced precipitation and high summer temperatures (Thornton et al., 2009). Drought makes it impossible to have quality forage for grazing livestock. Prolonged drought reduces the quality and quantity of forage and grains that are fed on livestock. The reduction of livestock feeds means that livestock will significantly be reduced at the expense of meeting people’s consumption needs.
Climate changes support the growth and increase of diseases and parasites that affect the livestock. Warmer winters and at the onset of spring creates a conducive environment for some pathogens and parasites to grow and adversely affect the health of the animals (Thornton et al., 2009). On the other hand, increased moisture content and rainfall make pathogens thrive thus affecting the health of animals. The pest and pathogens evolve becoming resistant to pesticides. The pest and pathogens result to decline in the health of the animals to the point reduction of the animals through death or reduced reproduction.
Climate change impacts on fisheries
Climate change and especially resulting in increased negatively affected fish farming thus reducing the supply and production of fish. Climate change makes water temperatures rise resulting in unfavorable conditions for fish farming or production. Fish thrive in colder areas and thus they tend to move towards the cold parts of water bodies (Allison et al., 2009). Therefore fish move colder parts of the lakes or streams or move northwards along the ocean or coast. This fact results in the concentration of fish species in one section resulting in competition. Increased competition for resources and food means that the inferior fish species ends up being consumed or reduced.
Changes in climate present conditions that increase marine disease outbreaks that result in massive fish deaths. The oyster parasites that result in the death of fish thrive in high estuarine and high water temperatures (Allison et al., 2009). The oyster parasite spread rapidly along with the areas such as in the Atlantic coasts and farther north thus affecting the fish production. Furthermore, salmon diseases that thrive warm winter spread rapidly resulting in a reduction of salmons. Additionally, warm temperature in the water is the leading cause of disease outbreaks such as abalone, coral and eelgrass and they rapidly result in the decline of the fish levels in waters. Therefore, climate change results in conditions that make diseases thrive thus killing fish species.
Changes in climate result in changes in seasons and temperatures that negatively affect fish reproduction and migration. The reproduction and growth of fish are dependent on the changing seasons and temperatures and any interruption due to climate change results reduction of fish (Allison et al., 2009). Changes in climate affect the fish lifecycle and the increased likelihood of diseases affecting the fish thus resulting in their reduction. Therefore, climate changes result in a wide range of factors supporting diseases and unfavorable conditions for the existence of fish thus resulting in the decline of fish.
Conclusion
Climate change results in changes in the climate conditions that negatively affect agriculture. Agriculture thrives in optimum climate but climate change interrupts seasons and climate factors such that it cannot support the growth and development of livestock, crops, and fish. Agriculture is dependent on optimum levels of temperature, precipitation, carbon dioxide, and wind. However, climate change has resulted in an interruption in the optimum condition to the point that crops, livestock, and fishes cannot grow favorably. In this regard, increased levels of CO2 result in a quality reduction in grains and forage, high levels of temperatures and precipitation result in drought and floods respectively thus affecting the crop, high temperatures present conducive environment for thriving of diseases and pathogens that affect fish, crops, and fishes. Therefore, climate change disrupts the climate seasons thus making it impossible to favorably engage in agriculture.
References
Allison, E. H., Perry, A. L., Badjeck, M. C., Neil Adger, W., Brown, K., Conway, D., … & Dulvy, N. K. (2009). Vulnerability of national economies to the impacts of climate change on fisheries. Fish and fisheries, 10(2), 173-196.
Iglesias, A., Garrote, L., Quiroga, S., & Moneo, M. (2012). A regional comparison of the effects of climate change on agricultural crops in Europe. Climatic change, 112(1), 29-46.
Thornton, P. K., van de Steeg, J., Notenbaert, A., & Herrero, M. (2009). The impacts of climate change on livestock and livestock systems in developing countries: A review of what we know and what we need to know. Agricultural systems, 101(3), 113-127.
