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Schönhart, M., Schauppenlehner, T., & Schmid, E. (2014). Integrated land use modelling of climate change impacts – preliminary results from two Austrian case study landscapes. FACCE MACSUR Mid-term Scientific Conference, 3(S) Sassari, Italy.
Abstract: We present an integrated land use modelling framework (ILM) to analyze impacts of climate change and CAP reform as well as farm adaptation using economic, biotic and abiotic indicators at field, farm and landscape scales. The IML is applied on the two contrasting landscapes in the Austrian MACSUR regional pilot study. The scenarios cover climate and policy changes until 2040. The anticipated policy changes lead to declines in farm gross margins by -36% and -5% in the two landscapes, respectively. In contrast, climate change leads to higher gross margins, where farms can reach pre-reform levels on average. Environmental impacts such as removing of landscape elements and increasing fertilization can be moderated by an agri-environmental program, but the opportunity costs of program participation may increase.
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Daccache, A. (2014). Assessing water and energy footprint of irrigated agriculture in the Mediterranean. FACCE MACSUR Mid-term Scientific Conference, 3(S) Sassari, Italy.
Abstract: Agriculture in the Mediterranean, one of the water scarcest regions in the world is by far the largest water consuming sector. Dwindling water supply, increase in drought frequency and uncertainties associated with climate change have raised the alerts on the region’s food security and environmental sustainability. In this study, a large geo-database of global climate, soil and crop were combined with national irrigation statistics to run a water balance model to estimate the theoretical irrigation volumetric needs of the Mediterranean main strategic crops and their relative CO2 emissions. When associated with the reported crop yield and water resources availability, the spatial variability of water (m3/kg) and energy (CO2/kg) productivity across the Mediterranean region are obtained and vulnerable areas are identified. The estimated total water needs for the Mediterranean irrigated agriculture under current climate, land cover and irrigation methods was estimated to be around 46km3/year releasing more than 3Mt of CO2 in the atmosphere only from water abstraction and farm application. Currently, 59% of total irrigation water needs are located in catchments that are classified as under high and extremely high water risk. With climate change, water resources are expected to become scarcer and agriculture more dependent on irrigation to satisfy the continuous increase in food demand. Adaptation and mitigation options to tackle water scarcity and improve productivity under current and future climate will be discussed.
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Dibari, C., Argenti, G., Catolfi, F., Moriondo, M., Staglianò, N., & Bindi, M. (2014). Climate change impacts on natural pasturelands of Italian Apennines. FACCE MACSUR Mid-term Scientific Conference, 3(S) Sassari, Italy.
Abstract: As well as the entire Mediterranean area, the Italian Apennines have been affected by increasing temperatures, rainfall extreme events and decreases in annual precipitation due to climate change. Moreover, permanent grasslands, species-diverse ecosystems characterizing the marginal areas of the Apennines landscape, are acknowledged as very sensitive and vulnerable to climate variation. Building on these premises, statistical classification models coupled with data integration by GIS techniques, were used to territorially assess future climate change impacts on pastoral communities on the Italian Apennines chain. Specifically, a machine learning approach (Random Forest – RF), firstly calibrated for the present period and then applied to future conditions, as projected by HadCM3 General Circulation Model (GCM), was used to simulate potential expansion/reduction and/or altitudinal shifts of the Apennine pasturelands in two time slices, centred on 2050 and 2080, under A2 and B2 SRES scenarios. RF classification model proved to be robust and very efficient to predict lands suited to pastures with regards to present period (classification error: 12%). Furthermore, according to RF simulations, relevant reductions (46 and 34%) of areas potentially suitable for pastoral resource are expected under A2 at the middle and end of the century, respectively, as depicted by the GCM and SRES scenarios. Moreover, progressive upwards shifts are predicted by the model under both SRES scenarios. These reductions will likely interest the central area of the chain threatening the typical and unique herbaceous biodiversity characterizing the Apennine pasturelands.
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Ferrise, R., Moriondo, M., Pasqui, M., Primicerio, J., Toscano, P., Semenov, M., et al. (2014). Within-season predictions of durum wheat yield over the Mediterranean Basin. FACCE MACSUR Mid-term Scientific Conference, 3(S) Sassari, Italy.
Abstract: Crop yield is the result of the interactions between weather in the incoming season and how farmers decide to manage and protect their crops. According to Jones et al. (2000), uncertainties in the weather of the forthcoming season leads farmers to lose some productivity by taking management decisions based on their own experience of the climate or by adopting conservative strategies aimed at reducing the risks. Accordingly, predicting crop yield in advance, in response to different managements, environments and weathers would assist farm-management decisions(Lawless and Semenov, 2005). Following the approach described by Semenov and Doblas-Reyes (2007), this study aimed at assessing the utility of different seasonal forecasting methodologies in predicting durum wheat yield at 10 different sites across the Mediterranean Basin. The crop model, SiriusQuality (Martre et al., 2006), was used to compute wheat yield over a 10-years period. First, the model was run with a set of observed weather data to calculate the reference yield distributions. Then, starting from 1st January, yield predictions were produced at a monthly time-step using seasonal forecasts. The results were compared with the reference yields to assess the efficacy of the forecasting methodologies to estimate within-season yields. The results indicate that durum wheat phenology and yield can be accurately predicted under Mediterranean conditions well before crop maturity, although some differences between the sites and the forecasting methodologies were revealed. Useful information can be thus provided for helping farmers to reduce negative impacts or take advantage from favorable conditions.
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Gallo, A., Mereu, V., & Spano, D. (2014). Projected climate change impact on wheat and maize in Italy. FACCE MACSUR Mid-term Scientific Conference, 3(S) Sassari, Italy.
Abstract: Agriculture is one of the most important sectors for global economy. Its high vulnerability to climate conditions cause a serious concern for the consequence determined by the incoming climate changes. The increase in temperature and decrease in rainfall, projected for the next decades in the Mediterranean Basin, may cause a significant impact on crop development and production. In this contest, the assessment of the climate change impacts on crop growth and yield is necessary in order to identify the crops and areas more vulnerable and suggest adaptation strategies to cope with climate change. The use of crop simulation models, such as those implemented in DSSAT-CSM (Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer – Cropping System Model) software, version 4.5., is the most common approach for the assessment of climate change impacts on crop development and yields. These models are often used at field scale. However, recent studies have been carried out at both regional and continental scale. In this work, CSM-CERES-Wheat and CSM-CERES-Maize crop models, parameterized at Italian scale for different varieties of durum wheat, common wheat and maize, were applied to assess climate change impacts on crop phenology and productivity. Dynamically downscaled climate data, using by the Regional Climate Model COSMO-CLM, and RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios were used for impact assessment. Moreover, some adaptation strategies were evaluated. Results, analyzed at regional level, will be discussed.
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