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2015 | Buch

Great Plains Regional Technical Input Report

verfasst von: Jean Steiner, Shannon McNeeley, Karen Cozzetto, Amber N. Childress

herausgegeben von: Dennis S. Ojima

Verlag: Island Press/Center for Resource Economics

Buchreihe : NCA Regional Input Reports

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Über dieses Buch

Prepared for the 2013 National Climate Assessment and a landmark study in terms of its breadth and depth of coverage, Great Plains Technical Input Report is the result of a collaboration among numerous local, state, federal, and nongovernmental agencies to develop a comprehensive, state of the art look at the effects of climate change on the eight states that encompass the Great Plains region.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Great Plains

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Great Plains
Social-Ecological Setting (Climate-Environment-Society) Natural Resources and Wildlife Aspects
Abstract
The Great Plains lie west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, rising gradually from about 98 ft (30 m) above sea level to over 5,000 ft (1,524 m) at the foot of the mountains. Before their widespread conversion to intensive agriculture, the Great Plains were noted for their extensive grasslands, from tall-grass prairie in the east to short-grass prairie in the western High Plains. The generally low relief of the plains is broken in several places, notably by the Ozark and the Ouachita Mountains, which form the Interior Highlands, the only major mountainous region between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains (see Havstad et al. 2009).
Dennis S. Ojima
Chapter 2. Characteristics of Agricultural System and Energy Resources
Abstract
The Great Plains produces much of the nation’s food and fiber. The region produces nearly two-thirds of the nation’s wheat, more than half its beef, a fifth of its corn, a quarter of its cotton, four-fifths of its grain sorghum, and a sixth of its pork (Duncan et al. 1995). While wheat and beef production are important across most or all of the Great Plains states, one or more of the states also contribute significantly to production of other animal (hogs, dairy, broilers - i.e. chickens raised for meat, and sheep) and crop (corn, soybean, cotton, sorghum, canola and other) commodities (Table 2.1). Changes in land use management, climate, and hydrological extremes will impact how natural resources will be utilized and sustained over time in the Great Plains, affecting the region’s social wellbeing and ecosystem integrity.
Dennis S. Ojima
Chapter 3. Climate Conditions and Scenarios of Change across the Great Plains
Abstract
The Great Plains region experiences a wide range of extreme weather and climate events that affect society, ecosystems, and infrastructure. The large longitudinal range from North Dakota and Montana in the north to Texas in the south contributes to the extreme range in hot and cold temperatures. Climatic phenomena that have major impacts on the Great Plains include droughts, floods, winter storms, convective storms, heat waves, cold waves, hurricanes, and sea-level rise along the coastal area of Texas. The coastal regions are affected by storms reaching in the Gulf of Mexico and convective storms across the region can lead to heavy rainfall conditions throughout the Great Plains in the summer.
Dennis S. Ojima

Natural Resource Vulnerabilities and Challenges Faced by the Great Plains

Frontmatter
Chapter 4. Water Management
Abstract
Water in the Great Plains is a critical natural resource that determines the social-ecological processes related to conservation, agriculture, energy, and urban development, among others. Climate regimes across the Great Plains vary tremendously and affect seasonal distribution of water inputs and availability. Changes in precipitation patterns, such as the variability and intensity of rain or snowfall, and seasonality of precipitation have major impacts on water resources in the region. In addition, the river systems dissecting the Great Plains, such as the Red River of the North, the Missouri, the Platte, the Arkansas, and the Rio Grande basins, emerge from the Rocky Mountains, so the hydrologic flow is connected to the snow deposition in this region. This is com-plicated by a legal allocation system that determines when, where, and how much water can be diverted and used in the region. Determinants of these allocation rules were developed during the past century and evolved under more ample precipitation conditions; and when population was sparser; industrial, energy, and urban demands were lower; and environmental water flow requirements were of lower priority. Water usage across the Great Plains is dominated by agriculture demands, though increased concentrations of regional urban development have affected water rights and usage. Changes in water ownership during the past few decades have also caused increased transfer of water rights to various municipalities. This has resulted in conflicts and legal battles between states and between various uses and users.
Dennis S. Ojima
Chapter 5. Ecosystem and Biodiversity Conservation Issues
Abstract
Climate-ecosystem interactions and the inherent uncertainty associated with a variable and changing climate pose a formidable threat to the region’s biological diversity and the function of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Recent alterations of seasonal trends and extreme events (i.e., droughts, heat waves, floods, etc.) have affected ecosystem functions and triggered thresholds of physiological and life-cycle patterns of various species. These changes have led to changes in habitat conditions and species composition shifts. These threshold changes also have impacts on species mortality and the persistence of plant and animal populations (Allen 2010). The invasion of exotic species into terrestrial systems is likely to accelerate in response to longer growing seasons, because they will have more time to establish themselves.
Dennis S. Ojima
Chapter 6. Energy Considerations
Abstract
There is strong seasonally dependent variability in both energy and water demand in this region. Water use peaks during the summer irrigation season, with the timing of greatest water consumption dependent on cropping patterns and constraints on water availability (Schneekloth & Andales, 2009). Total energy use for irrigation water delivery varies considerably across the region because of differences in total cropped acreage, dependence on groundwater or surface water, depth to groundwater, type of crop grown and weather-dependent crop evapotranspiration (e.g. USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service 2010). Overall, electric power use generally follows a U-shaped seasonal pattern with higher consumption in both winter and summer than in spring or fall (Colby & Tanimoto, 2011; Fan, Methaprayoon, & Lee, 2007; Fisher & Ackerman, 2011). A statistical analysis of the role of weather variables in driving seasonal differences in electricity demand in Arizona, found that: “…the relationship between load and temperature follows a quadratic pattern… temperature levels that are far from a certain neutral point lead to more consumption of electricity for cooling or heating. … the insensitive level found in exploratory analysis was around 59 °F (15 °C)” (Colby & Tanimoto, 2011).
Dennis S. Ojima
Chapter 7. Agriculture and Land Management
Abstract
While Great Plains agriculture is highly productive, rising input costs associated with high energy costs, changing demographics, and extreme climate events decrease its resilience. Until the recent increases in commodity prices, associated with rising demands for exports and bioenergy, farm-gate prices were often below the full cost of production. The long history of subsidies to US farmers has become increasingly controversial, and many people outside the agricultural sector are advocating for a changing U.S. policy, and shifting federal expenditures toward programs supporting payments for environmental services, new farmers, and alternative production practices, such as organic and healthy food programs. Many macroeconomic factors affect the stability and resilience of US agriculture in a global environment, including variability in currency exchange rates, changes in international trade, foreign and domestic income, rural employment, interest rates, and energy costs (Pender, Marré, & Reeder, 2012). Franzluebbers et al. (2011) discussed many of the forces acting on US rain-fed agriculture associated with the Great Plains, including challenges to maintaining soil water, soil protection against erosion, and improving crop-livestock systems to reduce external inputs.
Dennis S. Ojima
Chapter 8. Great Plains Societal Considerations
Impacts and Consequences, Vulnerability and Risk, Adaptive Capacity, Response Options
Abstract
A variety of factors related to climate variability and change will impact the Great Plains across human and ecological communities. The changes and associated stress are triggering response strategies and other mitigation and adaptation measures from land managers, government officials and staff, and various industries. The impacts and responses address water, energy, and other essential resources for both human and environmental well-being.
Dennis S. Ojima
Chapter 9. Collaborative Research and Management Interactions in Response to Climate Change
Abstract
Since the passage of the U.S Global Change Research Act of 1990, several actions have been carried out in the Great Plains, including development of the first Great Plains regional climate assessment (National Climate Assessment Synthesis Team 2001, Ojima and Lackett 2002), and the establishment of several research centers to support understanding, communication, and response to climate change impacts and consequences. Among these efforts are the Regional Integrated Science and Assessment Centers, National Institute of Global Environmental Change which has been restructured as National Institute on Climate Change Research, North Central Climate Science Center, and other activities supported by state, federal, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and local entities.
Dennis S. Ojima
Backmatter
Metadaten
Titel
Great Plains Regional Technical Input Report
verfasst von
Jean Steiner
Shannon McNeeley
Karen Cozzetto
Amber N. Childress
herausgegeben von
Dennis S. Ojima
Copyright-Jahr
2015
Verlag
Island Press/Center for Resource Economics
Electronic ISBN
978-1-61091-510-6
Print ISBN
978-1-59726-429-7
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-510-6