Altered Rainfall Patterns Research Articles

Four key reasons why climate change adaptation and mitigation need a gendered approach

Climate change is having a growing impact on every human activity, especially on agriculture with altered rainfall patterns and an increased number and intensity of extreme weather events. This article argues that efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change must consider whole food systems – rather than the sole production of food – whilst embracing a conscious gendered approach. Women are the main victims of hunger, but they are also the main actors of global food systems, they greatly contribute to their household’s and community’s wellbeing and detain a rich and often untapped knowledge of food systems. Promoting the role of women in our global food systems enhances the inclusion of criteria mainly valued by women such as resilience, diversity and nutrition, which are paramount for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Photo credit: By OxFam East Africa [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Can current moisture responses predict soil CO<sub>2</sub> efflux under altered precipitation regimes? A synthesis of manipulation experiments

Abstract. As a key component of the carbon cycle, soil CO2 efflux (SCE) is being increasingly studied to improve our mechanistic understanding of this important carbon flux. Predicting ecosystem responses to climate change often depends on extrapolation of current relationships between ecosystem processes and their climatic drivers to conditions not yet experienced by the ecosystem. This raises the question of to what extent these relationships remain unaltered beyond the current climatic window for which observations are available to constrain the relationships. Here, we evaluate whether current responses of SCE to fluctuations in soil temperature and soil water content can be used to predict SCE under altered rainfall patterns. Of the 58 experiments for which we gathered SCE data, 20 were discarded because either too few data were available or inconsistencies precluded their incorporation in the analyses. The 38 remaining experiments were used to test the hypothesis that a model parameterized with data from the control plots (using soil temperature and water content as predictor variables) could adequately predict SCE measured in the manipulated treatment. Only for 7 of these 38 experiments was this hypothesis rejected. Importantly, these were the experiments with the most reliable data sets, i.e., those providing high-frequency measurements of SCE. Regression tree analysis demonstrated that our hypothesis could be rejected only for experiments with measurement intervals of less than 11 days, and was not rejected for any of the 24 experiments with larger measurement intervals. This highlights the importance of high-frequency measurements when studying effects of altered precipitation on SCE, probably because infrequent measurement schemes have insufficient capacity to detect shifts in the climate dependencies of SCE. Hence, the most justified answer to the question of whether current moisture responses of SCE can be extrapolated to predict SCE under altered precipitation regimes is "no" – as based on the most reliable data sets available. We strongly recommend that future experiments focus more strongly on establishing response functions across a broader range of precipitation regimes and soil moisture conditions. Such experiments should make accurate measurements of water availability, should conduct high-frequency SCE measurements, and should consider both instantaneous responses and the potential legacy effects of climate extremes. This is important, because with the novel approach presented here, we demonstrated that, at least for some ecosystems, current moisture responses could not be extrapolated to predict SCE under altered rainfall conditions.

Évaluation de l’utilisation de l’eau en élevage

La pénurie d’eau, qui est le bilan entre sa disponibilité et sa consommation, est un problème régional avec des répercussions globales, car i) l’accroissement de la population humaine et de la demande en produits animaux entraîne l’augmentation de la demande en eau et ii) le changement climatique modifie les régimes de pluviométrie partout dans le monde. L’eau peut être divisée en eau « bleue » (eau de surface et des nappes phréatiques), en eau « verte » (eau du sol soumise à l’évapotranspiration) et en eau « grise » (eau virtuellement nécessaire pour diluer les polluants). Globalement 70% de l’eau bleue est utilisée pour l’agriculture. Une différence majeure entre méthodes d’appréciation de la consommation d’eau est l’inclusion ou non d’autres types d’eau que l’eau bleue. L’« empreinte eau » inclut les eaux verte et grise, alors que les analyses du cycle de vie tendent à les exclure, ou à inclure seulement la différence de disponibilité en eau verte en cas de changement d’utilisation des terres. Une seconde différence est la prise en compte de la consommation brute (en litres d’eau) ou pondérée par un index de stress hydrique (en litres d’équivalent-eau). En raison de ces différences méthodologiques, les estimations de la consommation d’eau pour un même produit varient fortement. En définitive, la pénurie en eau dépend de la consommation d’eau bleue. La contribution des animaux d’élevage à la pénurie en eau peut être réduite en diminuant leur consommation d’eau et/ou celle des cultures irriguées utilisées pour leur alimentation.

Ungulate diversity and precipitation history since the Last Glacial Maximum in the Western Cape, South Africa

This study reviews the precipitation history of the winter and year-round rainfall zones in the Western Cape (South Africa) in light of its fossil ungulate communities. Fossil sequences spanning the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and Lateglacial through the Holocene document a decline in ungulate richness through time. Based on the observed relationship between ungulate community richness and annual precipitation in Southern and East Africa, this implies increased effective precipitation during the LGM-Lateglacial at sites located in both the winter and year-round rainfall zones. These results are consistent with other lines of paleoenvironmental evidence from the winter rainfall zone, although they contradict records from the year-round rainfall zone that have been interpreted as reflecting aridity. A critical review of these records suggests that the patterns interpreted in terms of aridity can be explained by other mechanisms, including vegetation change. Current evidence is consistent with paleoclimatic models indicating that altered rainfall patterns during the LGM-Lateglacial were primarily related to the position of westerly frontal systems, which were displaced northward due to the expansion of Antarctic sea ice. Seasonal migration of these systems resulted in an expanded winter rainfall zone across much of southwestern Africa, but perhaps with some summer rains reaching the southern coast.

Vegetation change in variable rangeland environments: the relative contribution of drought and soil type in arid rangelands

AbstractThe response of a plant community to protection from grazing, as a function of year and soil type, was studied in the arid rangelands of southern Tunisia between 2007 and 2009. The vegetation of rangelands is often altered under grazing pressure, but unfortunately, removing the grazing pressure often does not reverse the changes in the way the succession model predicts. Rainfall variability is a key driver of ecosystem structure and function in arid rangelands, and this arid area of North Africa is characterized by low and erratic rainfall and is prone to drought conditions which normally occur every two to three years.Steppes are likely to exhibit strong and rapid structural and functional responses to these altered rainfall patterns. Although drought affects vegetation cover more in loamy soil than in all other soils, it affects diversity on all soils; particularly limestone and loam soils

Assessment of vulnerability of Indian agriculture to rainfall variability – Use of NOAA-AVHRR (8 km) and MODIS (250 m) time-series NDVI data products

Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) (8 km) Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI) data and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) (16-day, 250m) NDVI data products were considered to analyze vulnerability of Indian agriculture to rainfall variability under climate change impact studies. Predicted higher temperature and altered rainfall patterns accompanied by extreme weather events would impact vegetation growth in natural forest, open scrub, agricultural land and plantations. NDVI derived from 2-band information (Red and Near-infra Red) of multi-spectral imagery of AVHRR (1982 to 2006) and from MODIS (20002010) were analysed to understand spatial and temporal variability. Coefficient of Variation (CV) of maximum NDVI from 15-day composites for the total length of the study period was used to assess vulnerability of rain-fed agriculture and results were corroborated with the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) rather than actual rainfall received during the study period. AVHRR time-series data helped to identify vulnerable areas at regional-scale, i.e., agro-ecological subregions (AESR) due to coarser ground resolution while MODIS data products with 250m pixel resolution helped identify vulnerability at the district level. It was estimated that over 241 Mha areas in the country may not be vulnerable to rainfall variability-induced climate change, whereas over 81.3 Mha in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions in the country may be vulnerable to extreme weather events. Study indicated that over 12.1 and 1.81 Mha of Kharif cropland would be mildly and severely vulnerable, whereas 6.86 and 0.5 Mha of Rabi cropland may be adversely affected in a similar manner. Of the remaining agricultural lands, 29.93 and 5.24 Mha would also be vulnerable to climate change in a similar manner. Studies also indicated a decrease in length of Kharif and Rabi seasons and a delay in the start of Kharif season based on preliminary findings.

Climate Change and Our Environment: The Effect on Respiratory and Allergic Disease

Climate change is a constant and ongoing process. It is postulated that human activities have reached a point at which we are producing global climate change. It provides suggestions to help the allergist/environmental physician integrate recommendations about improvements in outdoor and indoor air quality and the likely response to predicted alterations in the earth's environment into his or her patient's treatment plan. It incorporates references retrieved from Pub Med searches for topics, including:climate change, global warming, global climate change, greenhouse gasses, air pollution, particulates, black carbon, soot and sea level, as well as references contributed by the individual authors. Many changes that affect respiratory disease are anticipated.Examples of responses to climate change include energy reduction retrofits in homes that could potentially affect exposure to allergens and irritants, more hot sunny days that increase ozone-related difficulties, and rises in sea level or altered rainfall patterns that increase exposure to damp indoor environments.Climate changes can also affect ecosystems, manifested as the appearance of stinging and biting arthropods in new areas.Higher ambient carbon dioxide concentrations, warmer temperatures, and changes in floristic zones could potentially increase exposure to ragweed and other outdoor allergens,whereas green practices such as composting can increase allergen and irritant exposure. Finally, increased energy costs may resultin urban crowding and human source pollution, leading to changes in patterns of infectious respiratory illnesses. Improved governmental controls on airborne pollutants could lead to cleaner air and reduced respiratory diseases but will meet strong opposition because of their effect on business productivity. The allergy community must therefore adapt, as physician and research scientists always have, by anticipating the needs of patients and by adopting practices and research methods to meet changing environmental conditions.

Effects of rainfall amount and frequency on vegetation growth in a Tibetan alpine meadow

Over the past decades, rainfall amount and frequency changed considerably on the Tibetan Plateau. However, how altered rainfall pattern affects vegetation growth and phenology in Tibetan alpine grasslands is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the long-term effects of rainfall amount and frequency on production (i.e., aboveground biomass, AGB) and phenology of three perennial plants in a Tibetan alpine meadow from 1994 to 2005. Growth period (i.e., the dates from greening to senescence) was referred to plant phenology here. Our results showed that annual precipitation and total rainfall from large events (≥ 5 mm per day) were mainly distributed in the growing season, which increased significantly from 1994 to 2005 with more increment in May and July (p < 0.05). Total AGB and growth periods of three plants were linearly correlated with annual precipitation and total rainfall from large events, but have insignificant correlations with total rainfall from small events (< 5 mm per day) and rainfall frequency (including small, large, and all events). The results suggest that aboveground plant production and phenology are more sensitive to changes in large rainfall events (≥ 5 mm per day) than small events (< 5 mm per day) in the alpine meadow ecosystems.

Fluxes of the greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4 and N2O) above a short-rotation poplar plantation after conversion from agricultural land

The increasing demand for renewable energy may lead to the conversion of millions of hectares into bioenergy plantations with a possible substantial transitory carbon (C) loss. In this study we report on the greenhouse gas fluxes (CO2, CH4, and N2O) measured using eddy covariance of a short-rotation bioenergy poplar plantation converted from agricultural fields. During the first six months after the establishment of the plantation (June–December 2010) there were substantial CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions (a total of 5.36±0.52MgCO2eqha−1 in terms of CO2 equivalents). Nitrous oxide loss mostly occurred during a week-long peak emission after an unusually large rainfall. This week-long N2O emission represented 52% of the entire N2O loss during one and an half years of measurements. As most of the N2O loss occurred in just this week-long period, accurately capturing these emission events are critical to accurate estimates of the GHG balance of bioenergy. While initial establishment (June–December 2010) of the plantation resulted in a net CO2 loss into the atmosphere (2.76±0.16MgCO2eqha−1), in the second year (2011) there was substantial net CO2 uptake (−3.51±0.56MgCO2eqha−1). During the entire measurement period, CH4 was a source to the atmosphere (0.63±0.05MgCO2eqha−1 in 2010, and 0.49±0.05MgCO2eqha−1 in 2011), and was controlled by water table depth. Importantly, over the entire measurement period, the sum of the CH4 and N2O losses was much higher (3.51±0.52MgCO2eqha−1) than the net CO2 uptake (−0.76±0.58MgCO2eqha−1). As water availability was an important control on the GHG emission of the plantation, expected climate change and altered rainfall pattern could increase the negative environmental impacts of bioenergy.

Conference, conscience and climate

Climate change due to the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) represents a grave threat to human health and survival. But will abandoning the international conference make a difference? The physical...

Influence of climate variability on seasonal and interannual variations of ecosystem CO2 exchange in flooded and non-flooded rice fields in the Philippines

Seasonal rainfall in the Philippines is known to be modulated by ENSO phenomenon, with El Niño frequently contributing to reduced rainfall and drought while La Niña resulting in excessive rainfalls, floods and more intense typhoons. The alterations in rainfall patterns can have considerable feedback on solar radiation, air temperature, and soil moisture which can affect the ecosystem CO2 exchange. In this paper, we assessed the effects of the ENSO events (2008–mid 2010) on the seasonal climate conditions and determined how it affected the gross primary production (GPP), ecosystem respiration (Re), and net ecosystem production (NEP) of two contrasting rice environments: flooded and non-flooded.The 2008 dry season (DS) was under a La Niña event while the 2008 wet season (WS) was a neutral one with strong tropical cyclones associated during the wet season. The 2009DS was also La Niña while the 2009WS was El Niño; however, the northern part of the Philippines experienced strong tropical cyclones. The 2010DS was under an El Niño event.The La Niña in 2008DS resulted in about 15% lower solar radiation (SR), 0.3°C lower air temperature (Ta) and 60% higher precipitation compared to the 28-year climate normal patterns. Both flooded and non-flooded rice fields had lower NEP in 2008 DS (164 and 14gCm−2, respectively) than in 2008 WS (295 and 82gCm−2, respectively) because the climate anomaly resulted in SR – driven decrease in GPP. The La Niña in 2009DS even resulted in 0.2°C lower air temperature and 40% more precipitation than the 2008DS La Niña. This cooler temperature resulted in lower Re in flooded rice fields while the higher precipitation resulted in higher GPP in non-flooded fields since the climate was favorable for the growth of the aerobic rice, the ratoon crops and the weeds. This climate anomaly benefitted both flooded and non-flooded rice fields by increasing NEP (351 and 218gCm−2, respectively). However, NEP decreased in 2009WS in both flooded and non-flooded rice fields (225 and 39gCm−2, respectively) due to the devastating effects of the strong tropical cyclones that hit the northern part of the Philippines. On the other hand, the El Niño event during 2010DS resulted in about 6% higher solar radiation, 0.4°C higher air temperature and 67% lower precipitation than the 28-year climate normal pattern. The NEP of flooded and non-flooded rice fields were closely similar at 187 and 174gCm−2, respectively. This climate anomaly resulted in Ta – driven increase in Re, as well as vapor pressure deficit (VPD) – driven decrease in GPP in flooded rice fields. The GPP and Re in non-flooded rice fields were less sensitive to higher VPD and higher Ta, respectively. It appears that the net ecosystem CO2 exchange in non-flooded rice field was less sensitive to an El Niño event.

Water use by livestock: A global perspective for a regional issue?

Water scarcity, a function of supply and demand, is a regional issue with global repercussions, given that 1) the increasing human population and demand for animal products will increase water demand and influence international trade in agricultural products and that 2) global climate change is altering rainfall patterns worldwide. Water can be divided into the following types: blue (i.e., surface and groundwater), green (i.e., soil water used in evapotranspiration), and gray (i.e., water necessary to dilute pollutants). On a global scale, agriculture represents 70% of blue water use. One main difference among all methods for assessing water use is whether and how they include green and gray water. The “water footprint” approach includes green water, whereas life cycle assessment approaches tend to exclude green water or to include only the variation in green water resulting from changes in land use. A second difference is whether water use is reported as a volume of water or as an index of water-use impact (e.g., H2O equivalents). A third is whether water that returns to the same location (e.g., in urine) is considered to have been consumed. Because of these differences and the fact that existing studies have analyzed only a limited number of different livestock production systems, methods give wildly different results for the same livestock product. For example, estimations of water use to produce 1 kg of beef range from 3 to 540 L of H2O or H2O equivalents for the life cycle assessment approach and from 10,000 to 200,000 L of H2O for the water footprint. Ultimately, water scarcity depends on blue water use. Decreasing the contribution of livestock to water scarcity can be achieved by decreasing feed irrigation. Livestock farming also has positive impacts on the environment related to water use.

Cassava Production and Pest Management: Present and Potential Threats in a Changing Environment

Cassava is attacked by a complex of arthropod pests across the tropical regions of the world where the crop is grown. Root yield losses have been recorded for several pests, including mites, mealybugs, whiteflies, hornworm, lacebugs, thrips and burrower bugs. Agronomic characteristics such as vegetative propagation, a long growth cycle, drought tolerance, staggered planting dates and intercropping contribute to the considerable diversity of pests that feed on the crop. The dynamics of cassava production are evolving as trends in the food, feed and industrial starch sector are leading to an increased demand for high quality starches. The resulting shift to larger scale production units, expansion of cultivated area and modifications in crop management combined with the effects of climate change, especially warmer temperatures and altered rainfall patterns, affect the occurrence and dynamics of arthropod pests in cassava agro ecosystems. Data is presented to describe the effects of temperature and dry seasons on key pest species. Whiteflies, mites and mealybugs register a suitability increase in the same areas in South America: Northeastern Brazil, Northern Argentina, South-Central Bolivia, and Southwest Peru. In Africa increases are projected in Southeast Africa and Madagascar. In Asia, regions with greater projected suitability for these pest species are Coastal India and Southeast Asia. Future trends and important criteria that will influence the severity and management of key pests are discussed.

Increased rainfall variability reduces biomass and forage quality of temperate grassland largely independent of mowing frequency

Climate models indicate that global warming will stimulate atmospheric exchange processes and increase rainfall variability, leading to longer dry periods and more intense rainfall events. Recent studies suggest that both the magnitude of the rainfall events and their frequency may be as important for temperate grassland productivity as the annual sum. However, until now interactive effects between land management practice, such as mowing frequency, and rainfall variability on productivity and forage quality have not been studied in detail. Here, we present the data from a field experiment (EVENT II) in which a Central-European grassland was subjected to increased spring rainfall variability (low, intermediate and extreme rainfall variability without any change to the rainfall amount) and increased mowing frequency (four times compared to twice a year). We assessed biomass production, forage quality parameters, root-length and shoot–root ratio. Enhanced spring rainfall variability reduced midsummer productivity and the leaf N and protein concentrations of a target species, but did not exert any long-term effects on biomass production and forage quality in late summer. However, the increased spring rainfall variability reduced aboveground net primary productivity by 15%. More frequent mowing increased productivity in the first year of the study, but decreased productivity at the end of the second year, showing a decline in the potential for overcompensation after a history of more intense mowing. Generally, more frequent mowing decreased the shoot–root ratio and increased the concentration of leaf N. Increased mowing frequency neither buffered, nor amplified the adverse effects of rainfall variability on productivity, but made leaf N concentrations in early summer more responsive to altered rainfall patterns. These results highlight the fact that even relatively small and short-term alterations to rainfall distribution can reduce production and forage quality, with little buffering capacity of altered mowing frequency. Comparisons with productivity data from the first year of the study, in which both, rainfall distribution and rainfall amount were modified, demonstrate the crucial role of sufficient moisture (annual rainfall amount) for grassland resilience: in this first year, negative effects of extreme rainfall variability lasted until the end of the year. To conclude, increased rainfall variability under climate change will likely affect agricultural yield in temperate meadows. Management strategies to buffer these effects have yet to be developed.

Impact of global climate change and fire on the occurrence and function of understorey legumes in forest ecosystems

IntroductionThe objective of this review was to provide a better understanding of how global climate change and fire influence the occurrence of understorey legumes and thereby biological nitrogen (N) fixation rates in forest ecosystems. Legumes are interesting models since they represent an interface between the soil, plant, and microbial compartments, and are directly linked to nutrient cycles through their ability to fix N. As such, they are likely to be affected by environmental changes.Result and discussionBiological N fixation has been shown to increase under enriched CO2 conditions, but is constrained by the availability of phosphorus and water. Climate change can also influence the species composition of legumes and their symbionts through warming, altered rainfall patterns, or changes in soil physicochemistry, which could modify the effectiveness of the symbiosis. Additionally, global climate change may increase the occurrence and intensity of forest wildfires thereby further influencing the distribution of legumes. The establishment of leguminous species is generally favored by fire, as is N2 fixation. This fixed N could therefore replenish the N lost through volatilization during the fire. However, fire may also generate shifts in the associated microbial community which could affect the outcome of the symbiosis.ConclusionUnderstorey legumes are important functional species, and even when they cannot reasonably be expected to reestablish the nutrient balance in forest soils, they may be used as indicators to monitor nutrient fluxes and the response of forest ecosystems to changing environmental conditions. This would be helpful to accurately model ecosystem N budgets, and since N is often a limiting factor to plant growth and a major constraint on C storage in ecosystems, would allow us to assess more precisely the potential of these forests for C sequestration.

Agricultural intensification, rainfall patterns, and large waterbird breeding success in the extensively cultivated landscape of Uttar Pradesh, India

In countries with high human populations, using agricultural areas as multifunctional systems to produce food for humans and retain wildlife may be an efficient conservation strategy for many species. Inclusion of natural habitat and species requirements on agricultural landscapes explicitly into planning processes are precluded by lack of information on drivers of species persistence. Climate change is an additional emerging complexity, and adaptation plans for agricultural landscapes are biased towards intensification to secure long-range food production. I examine the conservation potential of an agricultural landscape in two districts of Uttar Pradesh, north India where agricultural intensification and altered rainfall patterns are predicted to occur. I assess stressors affecting breeding success over eight years of two large waterbirds of conservation concern – Sarus Cranes and Black-necked Storks. Both species had high breeding success that improved with total rainfall and more wetlands in breeding territories. Agricultural and township expansions deteriorated territory quality and reduced breeding success. Sarus Crane populations were predicted to decline relatively rapidly if development activities continued to displace breeding pairs. Black-necked Storks appeared resilient over the long-term notwithstanding reduced breeding success in low-rainfall years. Waterbird nesting habitats (wetlands and trees) were retained in Uttar Pradesh as community lands by villages and by state government via legal provisions suggesting the utility of multiple conservation approaches. Incorporating species requirements explicitly, alongside traditional land use practices conducive for habitat conservation, into adaptation planning and conservation policy will be necessary to retain long-term multifunctionality of such agricultural landscapes.

Gender and occupational perspectives on adaptation to climate extremes in the Afram Plains of Ghana

Although sub-Saharan Africa does not contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, significant adverse impacts of climate change are anticipated in this region. Countries in West Africa, which are heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture, are projected to experience more frequent and intense droughts, altered rainfall patterns and increases in temperature through the end of this century. Changes in hydrology and temperature are likely to affect crop yields, thereby placing pressure on scarce resources in a region that is characterised by limited social, political, technical and financial resources. The success with which communities cope with the impacts of climate change is influenced by existing conditions, forces and characteristics which are peculiar to each of these communities. This paper assesses the preferred adaptation strategies during floods and droughts of males and females in three different occupations (farming, fishing, and charcoal production). Findings are based upon an analysis of focus group discussions and a ranking of preferred adaptation options in three communities in the Afram Plains of Ghana. Assessments of this nature should aid in the selection and implementation of adaptation options for communities and households, which is the level at which climate change adaptation is likely to occur in West Africa.

Climate change impacts on the terrestrial biodiversity and carbon stocks of Oceania.

We review the threats from anthropogenic climate change to the terrestrial biodiversity of Oceania, and quantify decline in carbon stocks. Oceania’s rich terrestrial biodiversity is facing unprecedented threats through the interaction of pervasive environmental threats (deforestation and degradation; introduced and invasive species; fragmentation) and the effects of anthropogenic climate change (sea level rise; altered rainfall patterns and increased fire frequency; temperature rises and increased storm severity, extreme weather events and abrupt system changes). All nine of Oceania’s terrestrial biomes harbour ecosystems and habitat types that are highly vulnerable under climate change, posing an immense conservation challenge. Current policies and management practices are inadequate and the need for new legislation and economic mechanisms is clear, despite powerful interests committed to limiting progress. Mitigation can be achieved by increasing the effectiveness of the protected area network, by maintaining and effectively managing existing carbon stocks and biodiversity, and by reforestation to sequester atmospheric carbon. A price on carbon emissions may encourage less carbon-intensive energy use while simultaneously encouraging reforestation on long-cleared land, and reducing degradation of native forests. However, realizing these changes will require societal change, and depend on input and collaboration from multiple stakeholders to devise and engage in shared, responsible management.

Influence of the Asian monsoon on net ecosystem carbon exchange in two major ecosystems in Korea

Abstract. Considering the feedback in radiation, temperature, and soil moisture with alterations in rainfall patterns, the influence of the changing monsoon on Net Ecosystem CO2 Exchange (NEE) can be critical to the estimation of carbon balance in Asia. In this paper, we examined CO2 fluxes measured by the eddy covariance method from 2004 to 2008 in two major ecosystems in the KoFlux sites in Korea, i.e., the Gwangneung Deciduous forest (GDK) and the Haenam Farmland (HFK). Our objectives were to identify the repeatability of the mid-season depression of NEE encountered at the two sites based on the single-year observation, and to further scrutinize its cause, effect, and interannual variability by using multi-year observations. In both GDK and HFK sites, the mid-season depression of NEE was reproduced each year but with different timing, magnitude, and mechanism. At the GDK site, a predominant factor causing the mid-season depression was a decreased solar radiation and the consequent reduction in Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) during the summer monsoon period. At the HFK site, however, the monsoonal effect was less pronounced and the apparent mid-season depression was mainly a result of the management practices such as cultivation of spring barley and rice transplantation. Other flux observation sites in East Asia also showed a decline in radiation but with a lesser degree during the monsoon season, resulting in less pronounced depression in NEE. In our study, the observed depressions in NEE caused both GDK and HFK sites to become a weaker carbon sink or even a source in the middle of the growing season. On average, the GDK site (with maximum leaf area index of ~5) was a weak carbon sink with NEE of −84 gC m−2 y−1. Despite about 20% larger GPP (of 1321 gC m−2y−1) in comparison with the GDK site, the HFK site (with maximum leaf area index of 3–4) was a weaker carbon sink with NEE of −58 gC m−2 y−1 because of greater ecosystem respiration (of 1263 gC m−2 y−1). These NEE values were near the low end of the ranges reported in the literature for similar ecosystems in mid-latitudes. With the projected trends of the extended length of monsoon with more intensive rainfalls in East Asia, the observed delicate coupling between carbon and hydrological cycles may turn these key ecosystems into carbon neutral.

GOVERNMENT National Oceanic &amp; Atmospheric Administration proposes new climate service

The nation will have a new climate agency akin to the National Weather Service if Congress approves a reorganization plan for NOAA. The proposed NOAA Climate Service would provide data to companies, local governments, farmers, and the public about projected changes in climate, such as alterations in rainfall patterns, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke says. NOAA, which is a Commerce Department agency, gets millions of requests for this sort of information each year, he adds. By providing critical planning information that our businesses and our communities need, NOAA Climate Service will help tackle head-on the challenges of mitigating and adapting to climate change,” Locke says. “In the process, we’ll discover new technologies, build new businesses, and create new jobs.” The new service would stem from a reorganization of existing NOAA programs, Locke says. Congressional appropriators would have to approve of NOAA shifting funds from current programs into the new climate service, he explains. In ...