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S. A. Attia-Ismail
in terms of the cyclone and the 6th most vulnerable country in terms of floods [27].
Frequency and severity of climatic change events are increasing day by day [28].
In China’s arid lands which are located in the central part of Eurasian continent, the
vegetation growth has shown an overall increase over the last two decades [29]. This
may suggest that part of Northern China is undergoing reversal of desertification.
Therefore, decreased desertification rate went from 1.2% at the 1950’s to 0.2% in
2003 [30]. Air temperature and precipitation rate show elevated trends in the arid
region of China [29]. These trends are expected to increase. These climatic changes
will have their impact on vegetation in the area and will lead to more vulnerable
ecosystems. The forages and feed crops will get affected in a matter that shifts
their production in both quantity and quality. Managing water resources, adopting
adaptive measures along with rational planning will all lead to mitigating the impacts
of climate changes on vegetation.
In the Mediterranean area Pastoralism is a major agricultural activity, supplying
about 30% of agricultural income according to [31]. These authors showed that
climate change impacted the area of the eastern Mediterranean basin negatively as
showed in their Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). In North Africa,
the erratic rain and high evaporation rate, due to increased temperature, had their
effect on crops. Christensen et al. [32] predicted that precipitation would decrease
and air temperature will increase in the future. This climatic variability may change
land use and, therefore, feed crop production. So far, no models to predict the impact
of climate changes in the area of the Mediterranean basin.
In California, USA (a Mediterranean climate type region) Shaw et al. [33] predicted
that climate changes (e.g. precipitation patterns) might cause the areas of the state
suitable for cattle grazing to change. This might due to that some areas become wetter
and others become drier and that the range forage production would decline between
14 and 58 percent. In the San Francisco Bay Area of this state, they suggested
the impacts would be more positive, with production increases for the change in
precipitation only not involving warming effect. The California Energy Commission
[34] predicted that (in a future with higher temperatures and altered precipitation
patterns, ranchers will need to consider management options for grazing shorter or
less reliable seasons and for forage of questionable nutritional content).
In Argentina The country has a variety of climatic ecosystems from sub-tropical to
sub-Antarctic [35] leading to a nice combination of forage diversity. These authors
concluded that the climate change in rangelands of Argentina may impose certain
changes in decomposition rates, aboveground net primary production, evapotranspiration and runoff. The changes include forage quality; grassland storage of soil
carbon, soil quality, ecosystem structure, water storage, and habitat suitability. Additionally, there is an alteration in plant cover; and in biodiversity; as well as shifts
in C3/C4 species mix in grasslands/rangelands, fluxes of greenhouse gases. They
warned that the ecosystem could change to an irreversible stage of desertification.
Unless decisive measures are taken, the situation there may worsen.
S. A. Attia-Ismail
in terms of the cyclone and the 6th most vulnerable country in terms of floods [27].
Frequency and severity of climatic change events are increasing day by day [28].
In China’s arid lands which are located in the central part of Eurasian continent, the
vegetation growth has shown an overall increase over the last two decades [29]. This
may suggest that part of Northern China is undergoing reversal of desertification.
Therefore, decreased desertification rate went from 1.2% at the 1950’s to 0.2% in
2003 [30]. Air temperature and precipitation rate show elevated trends in the arid
region of China [29]. These trends are expected to increase. These climatic changes
will have their impact on vegetation in the area and will lead to more vulnerable
ecosystems. The forages and feed crops will get affected in a matter that shifts
their production in both quantity and quality. Managing water resources, adopting
adaptive measures along with rational planning will all lead to mitigating the impacts
of climate changes on vegetation.
In the Mediterranean area Pastoralism is a major agricultural activity, supplying
about 30% of agricultural income according to [31]. These authors showed that
climate change impacted the area of the eastern Mediterranean basin negatively as
showed in their Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). In North Africa,
the erratic rain and high evaporation rate, due to increased temperature, had their
effect on crops. Christensen et al. [32] predicted that precipitation would decrease
and air temperature will increase in the future. This climatic variability may change
land use and, therefore, feed crop production. So far, no models to predict the impact
of climate changes in the area of the Mediterranean basin.
In California, USA (a Mediterranean climate type region) Shaw et al. [33] predicted
that climate changes (e.g. precipitation patterns) might cause the areas of the state
suitable for cattle grazing to change. This might due to that some areas become wetter
and others become drier and that the range forage production would decline between
14 and 58 percent. In the San Francisco Bay Area of this state, they suggested
the impacts would be more positive, with production increases for the change in
precipitation only not involving warming effect. The California Energy Commission
[34] predicted that (in a future with higher temperatures and altered precipitation
patterns, ranchers will need to consider management options for grazing shorter or
less reliable seasons and for forage of questionable nutritional content).
In Argentina The country has a variety of climatic ecosystems from sub-tropical to
sub-Antarctic [35] leading to a nice combination of forage diversity. These authors
concluded that the climate change in rangelands of Argentina may impose certain
changes in decomposition rates, aboveground net primary production, evapotranspiration and runoff. The changes include forage quality; grassland storage of soil
carbon, soil quality, ecosystem structure, water storage, and habitat suitability. Additionally, there is an alteration in plant cover; and in biodiversity; as well as shifts
in C3/C4 species mix in grasslands/rangelands, fluxes of greenhouse gases. They
warned that the ecosystem could change to an irreversible stage of desertification.
Unless decisive measures are taken, the situation there may worsen.