Global Climate Change and Agriculture Production

This book reports on the results of experiments to assess the effects of global climate change on the agricultural production of crops and livestock. It covers issues such as the CO2, fertilization effect, the adverse effects of elevated levels of UV-B radiation and ozone on plant growth and productivity and on livestock. Combined effects are also studied, including changing CO2, temperature, and UV-B radiation and O3s simultaneously on crop growth. The chapters given an idea of the overall global picture in terms of the effects already discussed. Changes in the world hydrological cycle, the regional availability of water resources, changes in soil conditions and the impact of this on food production, as well as modelling techniques, are all examined. A reassessment of the effects on agricultural production will therefore be necessary in a few years’ time. This is also in view of the ever-increasing amount of free-air measurements and experimental data on the effects of increasing atmospheric CO2, concentrations on plant growth and soil conditions.