Emergence of robust precipitation changes across crop production areas in the 21st century

A warming climate will affect regional precipitation and hence food supply. However, only a few regions around the world are currently undergoing precipitation changes that can be attributed to climate change. Knowing when such changes are projected to emerge outside natural variability—the time of...

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Main Authors: Rojas, Maisa, Lambert, Fabrice, Ramírez Villegas, Julián Armando, Challinor, Andrew J.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: National Academy of Sciences 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/100496
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author Rojas, Maisa
Lambert, Fabrice
Ramírez Villegas, Julián Armando
Challinor, Andrew J.
author_browse Challinor, Andrew J.
Lambert, Fabrice
Ramírez Villegas, Julián Armando
Rojas, Maisa
author_facet Rojas, Maisa
Lambert, Fabrice
Ramírez Villegas, Julián Armando
Challinor, Andrew J.
author_sort Rojas, Maisa
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description A warming climate will affect regional precipitation and hence food supply. However, only a few regions around the world are currently undergoing precipitation changes that can be attributed to climate change. Knowing when such changes are projected to emerge outside natural variability—the time of emergence (TOE)—is critical for taking effective adaptation measures. Using ensemble climate projections, we determine the TOE of regional precipitation changes globally and in particular for the growing areas of four major crops. We find relatively early (<2040) emergence of precipitation trends for all four crops. Reduced (increased) precipitation trends encompass 1–14% (3–31%) of global production of maize, wheat, rice, and soybean. Comparing results for RCP8.5 and RCP2.6 clearly shows that emissions compatible with the Paris Agreement result in far less cropped land experiencing novel climates. However, the existence of a TOE, even under the lowest emission scenario, and a small probability for early emergence emphasize the urgent need for adaptation measures. We also show how both the urgency of adaptation and the extent of mitigation vary geographically.
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spelling CGSpace1004962025-11-12T05:58:34Z Emergence of robust precipitation changes across crop production areas in the 21st century Rojas, Maisa Lambert, Fabrice Ramírez Villegas, Julián Armando Challinor, Andrew J. climate change precipitation agriculture A warming climate will affect regional precipitation and hence food supply. However, only a few regions around the world are currently undergoing precipitation changes that can be attributed to climate change. Knowing when such changes are projected to emerge outside natural variability—the time of emergence (TOE)—is critical for taking effective adaptation measures. Using ensemble climate projections, we determine the TOE of regional precipitation changes globally and in particular for the growing areas of four major crops. We find relatively early (<2040) emergence of precipitation trends for all four crops. Reduced (increased) precipitation trends encompass 1–14% (3–31%) of global production of maize, wheat, rice, and soybean. Comparing results for RCP8.5 and RCP2.6 clearly shows that emissions compatible with the Paris Agreement result in far less cropped land experiencing novel climates. However, the existence of a TOE, even under the lowest emission scenario, and a small probability for early emergence emphasize the urgent need for adaptation measures. We also show how both the urgency of adaptation and the extent of mitigation vary geographically. 2019-04-02 2019-03-21T15:56:22Z 2019-03-21T15:56:22Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/100496 en Open Access application/pdf National Academy of Sciences Rojas, Maisa; Lambert, Fabrice; Ramirez-Villegas, Julian & Challinor, Andrew J. (2019).Emergence of robust precipitation changes across crop production areas in the 21st century, Proceeding of the National Academiy of Sciences of the United States of America - PNAS. 1-6 p.
spellingShingle climate change
precipitation
agriculture
Rojas, Maisa
Lambert, Fabrice
Ramírez Villegas, Julián Armando
Challinor, Andrew J.
Emergence of robust precipitation changes across crop production areas in the 21st century
title Emergence of robust precipitation changes across crop production areas in the 21st century
title_full Emergence of robust precipitation changes across crop production areas in the 21st century
title_fullStr Emergence of robust precipitation changes across crop production areas in the 21st century
title_full_unstemmed Emergence of robust precipitation changes across crop production areas in the 21st century
title_short Emergence of robust precipitation changes across crop production areas in the 21st century
title_sort emergence of robust precipitation changes across crop production areas in the 21st century
topic climate change
precipitation
agriculture
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/100496
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AT ramirezvillegasjulianarmando emergenceofrobustprecipitationchangesacrosscropproductionareasinthe21stcentury
AT challinorandrewj emergenceofrobustprecipitationchangesacrosscropproductionareasinthe21stcentury