ASSESSING THE SUITABILITY OF THE EPIC CROP MODEL FOR USE IN THE STUDY OF IMPACTS OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN WEST AFRICA

The EPIC (Erosion Productivity Impact Calculator) crop model, developed by scientists of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), has been successfully applied to the study of erosion, water pollution, crop growth and production in the US but is yet to be introduced for serious research purposes in other countries or regions. This paper reports on the applicability of the EPIC 8120 crop model for the assessment of the potential impacts of climate variability and climate change on crop productivity in sub‐Saharan West Africa, using Nigeria as the case study. Among the crops whose productivity has been successfully simulated with this model are five of West Africa's staple food crops: maize, millet, sorghum (guinea corn), rice and cassava. Thus, using the model, the sensitivities of maize, sorghum and millet to seasonal rainfall were demonstrated with coefficients of correlation significant at over 98 per cent confidence limits. The validation tests were based on a comparison of the observed and the model‐generated yields of rice and maize. The main problems of validation relate to the multiplicity of crop varieties with contrasting performances under similar field conditions. There are also the difficulties in representing micro‐environments in the model. Thus, some gaps appear between the observed and the simulated yields, arising from data or model deficiencies, or both. Based on the results of the sensitivity and validation tests, the EPIC crop model could be satisfactorily employed in assessing the impacts of and adaptations to climate variability and climate change. Its use for the estimation of production and the assessment of vulnerabilities need to be pursued with further field surveys and field experimentation.     

气候变率影响下博茨瓦纳河流流量的时空变化

The fourth assessment report of the IPCC highlights that the global average surface temperature is projected to increase by 1.8 to 4.0℃ by the year 2100 compared to current climate. Given that climate is the most important driver of the hydrological cycle, the rise in temperature could cause changes in occurrence patterns of extreme hydrologic events like streamflow droughts. An increase in frequency and severity of these events could pose seri-ous challenges for sustainable management of water resources particular in arid regions. However, the understanding of water resources dynamics and the possible impacts of climate change on these dynamics is hindered by uncertainties in climate change models and com-plex hydrological responses of streams and catchments to climatic changes. Therefore ob-servational evidence of streamflow dynamics at the local scale could play a crucial role in addressing these uncertainties and achieving a fuller reconciliation between model-based scenarios and ground truth. This paper determines spatial and temporal changes in stream-flow volumes and their association with climatic factors based on the non-parametric Mann-Kendall test and ANOVA to determine possible changes in streamflow over the years and their relation to climatic factors. Streamflow is generally stochastic highlighting the im-portance of factoring in temporal flow variability in water resources planning. There is no clear evidence that changes in climatic variables are related to streamflow behaviour.     

作物生产潜力变化的区域差异——以陕西省为例

作物生产潜力变化具有明显的区域差异性,亟需针对不同地理单元实施有效应对措施和调控策略。选择陕西省三大地理单元（陕北高原、关中盆地和秦巴山区）为研究对象,运用全球生态区模型（GAEZ）分析了陕西省不同地理单元作物生产潜力变化趋势,探讨了不同作物生产潜力变化的区域差异,辨识出影响不同作物生产潜力变化的主要因素,结果显示：（1） 1980—2015年间,陕西省玉米生产潜力总量增加了150.55×10⁴ t,小麦生产潜力总量则下降了402.69×10⁴ t。（2） 关中盆地的玉米和小麦生产潜力皆最大,陕北高原次之,秦巴山区的玉米和小麦生产潜力皆最小;陕北高原和秦巴山区的玉米生产潜力皆表现出先增加后减小再增加的变化趋势,关中盆地的玉米生产潜力则先减小后增加再减小;关中盆地和秦巴山区的小麦生产潜力都呈下降趋势,陕北高原的小麦生产潜力则有所提高。（3） 土地利用变化呈现减产效应,这一效应在关中盆地尤为显著,其次为陕北高原;气候变化导致玉米生产潜力增加,使小麦生产潜力下降;气候变化对不同地理单元的影响也不相同,在陕北高原表现为增产效应,在关中盆地和秦巴山区则为减产效应。（4） 在陕北高原,气候变化的增产效应是玉米和小麦生产潜力提高的主要原因,气候变化对玉米生产潜力的影响大于对小麦的影响,耕地向草地、林地和建设用地的转化是降低作物生产潜力最主要的土地利用变化因素;在关中盆地,作物生产潜力的变化主要是受气候变化的影响,小麦受气候变化的影响较玉米为大,以建设用地占用耕地为特征的土地利用变化对玉米生产潜力的影响大于对小麦的影响;在秦巴山区,土地利用变化是玉米生产潜力变化的主要原因,而小麦生产潜力的变化主要受气候变化影响。     

气候变化和物候变动对东北黑土区农业生产的协同作用及未来粮食生产风险

东北黑土区是中国重要的粮食生产基地,也是中国气候变化最敏感的地区之一。然而,气候变化背景下东北黑土区气候及物候变化对农业生产力的综合影响并不清晰,未来农业生产风险评估的定量化程度不够,风险等级制定缺乏依据。本文借助遥感产品、气候资料和模拟数据等资料,综合运用多元线性回归、相关分析及干旱危险性指数等方法,探究东北黑土区作物物候动态及其气候响应特征,辨识气候与物候变化对农业生产的复合效应及未来可能风险。结果表明：① 2000—2017年东北黑土区29.76%的区域作物生长季开始期呈显著延后趋势,16.71%的区域作物生长季结束期呈提前态势,生长季开始期受气温的影响范围广,且滞后时间长;生长季结束期与前期气候变化关系更加密切,且带状差异性响应格局尤其明显。② 气候变化和物候期改变对作物生产的解释能力较生长季同期气候变化的解释能力增加了70.23%,解释面积扩大了85.04%。③ RCP8.5情景下东北黑土区粮食总产量呈现上升趋势,粮食生产风险表现出“南增北减”的演变特征,风险区面积不断扩大,全球温升2.0 ℃时,松嫩黑土亚区南部粮食减产量可能达到10%。研究有助于深入认识气候—物候—作物生产的关联机理及未来粮食生产风险,对制定气候变化应对策略,保障国家粮食安全具有重要意义。     

挠力河流域河流径流量对气候变化的敏感性分析

流域径流量对气候变化的敏感性分析是理解气候变化对流域水资源影响的重要手段。本文利用非更新式人工神经网络(ANN)模型,以年平均降雨、年最低气温和最高气温为输入参数,年平均径流量为输出变量,构建了三江平原挠力河流域的径流量预测ANN模型;并根据IPCC第四次报告的气候变化模式,设定了9种不同的气候变化情景,利用构建的ANN模型分析了流域径流量对气候变化的敏感性。结果表明:构建的人工神经网络模型能够较好的模拟径流量,可用于气候变化的敏感性分析;挠力河流域上游径流量对气候变化的敏感性要大于中游区域的,降水变化对径流量的影响大于气温对其产生的影响。     

中原腹地气候变化对冬小麦产量的影响——以商丘地区为例

为探明气候变化对商丘地区冬小麦产量的影响,根据1991～2010商丘市气候资料和小麦产量资料,利用数学统计与Thornthwaite Memoriae模型,结合未来气候预测结果定量分析了气候变化对冬小麦产量的影响。结果表明,冬小麦产量整体上呈波动上升趋势;主成分分析表明,气温、降水量、蒸发量与极端温度为影响冬小麦产量的主要气候因子,蒸发量过大及极端低温对冬小麦生产不利。商丘地区"暖湿型"气候有利于冬小麦生产力的提高,"冷干型"气候对冬小麦生产最为不利;未来几十年内气候可能将向"暖湿型"变化,对商丘地区粮食作物产量的提升较为有利。     

Evaluating the impact of an agricultural land‐use change adaptation strategy on household crop production in semi‐arid Ghana

In this study, the Land Use Dynamic Simulator model was applied to investigate the impact of farm credit as an adaptation strategy to cope with effects of climate variability on agricultural land‐use change and crop production in the Vea watershed in Ghana. The authors identified the determinants of crop choices within the landscape (e.g., farm household and biophysical characteristics of farm plot). The crop choice sub‐model was then linked to the crop yield sub‐model to determine the yields of selected crops. In adapting to the impacts of climate variability, the maize credit adoption sub‐model under the maize cultivation credit scenario was integrated into decision‐making. This was simulated for a 20‐year period, and compared with the business‐as‐usual scenario. Under the simulated maize credit scenario, maize adopters increased from about 20 per cent to about 50 per cent and the area allocated for maize cultivation significantly increased by about 266 per cent. Consequently, the average annual aggregated household crop yield increased by 6.3 per cent higher than in the business‐as‐usual scenario. This simulation study shows that access to maize credit can significantly influence agricultural land‐use change and food availability in the study area. However, although access to farm credit may translate into food availability, the sustainability of this strategy is questionable.     

全球变化下作物物候研究进展

作物物候是农作物重要的植物属性,不仅反映作物的生长发育状况,其变化也影响作物产量,是一种能够指示气候变化的综合响应指标。以气温升高为主要标志的全球气候变化对作物物候产生了重要影响,开展全球气候变化下作物物候变化特征及其影响机制研究对于揭示全球变化对作物生长发育过程影响及其产量形成机制具有重要的理论意义和实践价值。目前,作物物候变化及其影响因素是国内外研究的焦点和热点问题,前人已开展了大量而卓有成效的研究工作。本文侧重介绍全球气候变化下作物物候变化的主要研究进展,包括作物物候变化的驱动因子及其影响机制和作物物候主要研究方法,并探讨未来研究仍亟待解决的关键科学问题,以期为深入认识全球气候变化对农业物候的影响机理以及指导区域农业生产实践提供理论依据。     

The effects of climate change and phenological variation on agricultural production and its risk pattern in the black soil area of northeast China

The black soil region of northeast China is a vital food base and is one of the most sensitive regions to climate change in China. However, the characteristics of the crop phenological response and the integrated impact of climate and phenological changes on agricultural productivity in the region under the background of climate change are not clear. The future agricultural risk assessment has been insufficiently quantified and the existing risk level formulation lacks a sound basis. Based on remote sensing products, climate data, and model simulations, this study integrated a logistic function fitting curvature derivation, multiple linear regression, and scenario simulation to investigate crop phenology dynamics and their climate response characteristics in the black soil region. Additionally, the compound effects of climate and phenology changes on agricultural production and possible future risks were identified. The key results were as follows: (1) From 2000 to 2017, 29.76% of the black soil region of northeast China experienced a significant delay in the start of the growing season (SOS) and 16.71% of the total area displayed a trend for the end of the growing season (EOS) to arrive earlier. The time lagged effects of the SOS in terms of the crop response to climatic factors were site and climatic parameter dependent. The influence of temperature was widespread and its effect had a longer lag time in general; (2) Both climatic and phenological changes have had a significant effect on the inter-annual variability of crop production, and the predictive ability of both increased by 70.23%, while the predictive area expanded by 85.04%, as compared to that of climate change in the same period of the growing season; (3) Under the RCP8.5 scenario, there was a risk that the future crop yield would decrease in the north and increase in the south, and the risk area was constantly expanding. With a 2.0℃ rise in global temperature, the crop yield of the southern Songnen black soil sub-region would reduce by almost 10%. This finding will improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying climate change and vegetation productivity dynamics, and is also helpful in the promotion of the risk management of agrometeorological disasters.     

Scenarios of Future Climate Change: Effects on Frost Occurrence and Severity in the Maritime Uplands of Northern England

Changes in annual frost frequency and annual frost accumulation associated with a variety of temperature change scenarios are mapped for northern England. Estimates of future changes are obtained through application of analytical theory to convert predictions of mean daily minimum temperatures and their inter-diurnal variability to accumulated frost degrees and frost frequency. The baseline climate is provided by regression analysis of surface data involving up to ten terrain variables. Future scenarios include warm and cold analogues, maritime and continental airflow scenarios, arbitrary warming and two general circulation model (GCM) simulations: UKHI (United Kingdom Meteorological Office High Resolution GCM Equilibrium Experiment) and GISS (Goddard Institute for Space Studies). Considerable contrasts emerge between scenarios, with substantial reductions in frost frequency and accumulation in the two GCM 2 *CO₂ simulations. This is to be expected in a maritime area where small changes in temperature have a large influence on parameters involving threshold temperatures. Increases in frost occur under the continental airflow scenario. Changes in frost do not necessarily complement those in accumulated warmth, and therefore indices combining possible changes in warmth and frost are helpful.     

气候变化对甘肃定西、安徽合肥小麦生产影响研究

由于大气中温室气体的不断增加, 全球气候发生了巨大变化。据最新气候模式模拟研究表 明未来全球气候将发生更为剧烈的变化, 这必将对很多部门产生显著的影响特别是对气候变化 十分敏感的农业。尤其对于中国这样的人口大国, 农业作为社会最基本也是最重要生产部门之 一, 气候变化将对中国的农业生产带来巨大的影响。小麦是中国的第二大作物, 其中冬小麦占全 国小麦总产量近90%, 因此评价气候变化对中国小麦生产影响是十分必要的。为了分析在未来气 候变化情景下中国小麦生产可能遇到的风险, 以15 年ECMWF 再分析实验数据(1979~1993)作为 边界条件驱动PRECIS 区域气候模式模拟产生作物模型所需要的气候资料并输入CERES-Wheat 模型, 验证CERES-Wheat 模型与区域气候模式PRECIS 结合的模拟能力。在以上验证工作的基 础上, 将区域气候模式PRECIS 的模拟结果与作物模型CERES-Wheat 相连接, 同时考虑到CO2 对小麦的直接施肥作用, 模拟了两个小麦站点(定西和合肥)在IPCC SRES A2 和B2 情景下雨养 和灌溉小麦的变化趋势。得到如下结论: 无论是在A2 情景还是B2 情景, 定西和合肥的小麦产量 都会有所增加, 但增加的幅度相差很大。A2 情景的增产效应一般要大于B2 情景的增产效应, 灌 溉小麦比雨养小麦更加受益于气候变化, 冬小麦(合肥) 产量的增长幅度要大于春小麦(定西) 增 长幅度。CO2 对小麦生长的肥效作用十分明显, 产量增幅很大。以上结果说明未来气候变化可能 会对我国的小麦生产带来益处, 但由于未来气候情景模拟的不确定性以及CO2 肥效作用通常是 在作物过程中的水肥条件完全满足的情况下才充分体现, 这都给研究结果带来了不确定性, 但本 项研究为评价未来气候变化对中国小麦生产影响提供了一种全面的评价方法。     

农业物候动态对地表生物物理过程及气候的反馈研究进展

地表过程对全球变化的响应和反馈是地球系统科学研究的核心课题之一,目前的研究多关注全球变化对地表过程的影响,而地表动态过程对地表生物物理过程及气候的反馈研究较少。系统认识地表物候动态对生物物理过程及气候的反馈对深化地球系统科学研究有着重要的意义。本文从农业物候动态的事实、农业物候动态在陆面过程模型中的参数化表达、农业物候动态对地表生物物理过程及气候的反馈等方面进行综述,发现在气候变化和管理措施影响下,以种植期和灌浆期为代表的农业物候期发生了显著的规律性变化;耦合农业物候动态,改善了模型对地表动态过程、生物物理过程和大气过程的数字化表达;农业物候变化对地表净辐射、潜热、感热、反照率和气温、降水、环流等过程产生了影响,并表现出以地表能量分配为主的气候反馈机理。针对农业物候动态对地表生物物理过程及气候效应的时空重要性,需要继续开展以下方面的工作：① 加强全球变化对地表物候动态的影响及其反馈的综合研究;② 不同光谱波段地表反射率与农业物候动态的关系研究;③ 农业物候动态引起的作物生理学特征变化在地表生物物理过程中的贡献;④ 重视不同气候区物候动态对气候反馈效应的差异。     

IMPACTS OF NUCLEAR WAR: RESULTS FROM AN ENERGY BALANCE GLOBAL CLIMATE MODEL

We use a one-dimensional energy balance global climate model to assess the climatic impacts of various nuclear war scenarios. Our results suggest that mean annual surface temperatures, especially within the war zone, may decrease sharply. Perturbations in the atmospheric circulation system substantially change the distribution and size of the various global heat exchanges.     

中国粮食生产的综合影响因素分析

采用模型模拟的方式, 根据中国社会发展规划, 将未来社会经济发展情景与区域气候模型、水资源模型和作物模型相连接, 综合评估和分析未来中国的粮食生产状况, 以期为宏观决策提供科学参考。结果表明, ①气候变化将影响未来三大作物单产, 如果不考虑 CO₂ 肥效作用, 未来雨养作物单产将受到更大冲击; 当灌溉条件保障后, 水稻受到冲击更大, 单产降低最多, 尤其是 A2 情景。如果考虑 CO₂ 肥效作用, 未来玉米平均单产变化不大, 小麦单产明显增加, 尤其是雨养小麦, 水稻单产也有所增加。②未来气候变化、水资源、社会经济发展将影响中国三大作物的需水量和农业供水量, 导致水稻、灌溉玉米和小麦的播种面积下降, 而雨养小麦和玉米的播种面积上升。③未来气候变化、 CO₂ 肥效、水资源和土地利用变化对粮食生产的影响较为复杂, 依情景和时段的不同而不同。农业可用水资源对粮食总产的影响最不利, 致使三大作物粮食总产量明显降低, 成为未来粮食生产的主要限制因素, 尤其是水稻生产; 土地利用对总产的负面影响最小; 气候变化和 CO₂ 的相互作用可使总量少许增加。未来各情景下水稻受到冲击最大, 而小麦和玉米则表现为不同程度的增产。     

IMPACT OF CLIMATIC CHANGE ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN KANSAS: A FOUR-CROP ANALYSIS

Most scenarios of greenhouse-gas climatic change predict a warmer drier Great Plains environment. The goal of this research was to determine the resulting change in soil moisture and to relate this to changes in agricultural productivity. Soil moisture was used in regression-based models to predict yields for the four major grain crops: wheat, corn, soybeans, and grain sorghum. The results indicate that a warmer drier climate would reduce yields for the summer crops throughout the state. The yield for winter wheat also decreased in the western part of the state but actually increased in eastern Kansas. Corn and soybeans could decline in the dry land crop mix in eastern Kansas as wheat becomes a more viable alternative. Thus, the results imply possible geographic shifts in the crop belts in Kansas. [Key words: climatic change, agricultural production, soil moisture.]     

国内外农户对气候变化/变异感知与适应研究

基于国内外农户气候变化感知和适应研究进展,在辨析气候变化和气候变异概念的基础上,阐释农户气候变化/变异感知结果及影响因素。研究发现农户气候变化感知与适应行为之间存在不确定关系,农户气候变化感知直接转化为适应策略需克服一系列障碍因素。针对农户气候变化适应策略,在系统梳理国内外农户适应策略的基础上,对这些策略是否属于气候变化和变异适应行为提出质疑,认为不能忽略其他复杂的社会经济和政治因素对这些措施的驱动作用。最后,对中国未来研究提出慎重大规模开展农户气候变化感知及适应研究、厘清气候变化/变异感知与适应策略之间关系和重视时空异质性以及农户异质性研究三点展望。     

Stratigraphic inversion of siliciclastic basin fills: a note on the distinction between supply signals resulting from tectonic and climatic forcing

Rates of accommodation and sediment supply are the principal controls on stacking patterns in siliciclastic basin fills. Stratigraphic inversion is aimed at reconstruction of these controls from the detrital record. Efforts to ‘explain’ siliciclastic basin fills have been focused on analysis and numerical modelling of sequence geometry in response to changes in accommodation, whereas comparatively few studies have attempted to address the role of sediment supply. The compositional and textural properties of siliciclastic basin fills are linked with the evolution of drainage basins through the principle of climatic–physiographic control of sediment production and supply. Application of this principle leads to a method of compositional analysis for distinguishing sequences controlled by high-frequency changes in the rate of accommodation from sequences controlled by high-frequency variations in the rate of sediment supply (order of 10 kyr). This method does not require detailed time control. Changes in rate and type of sediment supplied to depositional systems in response to environmental perturbations in drainage basins are explored in greater detail by means of a numerical model of sediment production under various scenarios of climatic and tectonic forcing. Simulation experiments suggest that drainage basins respond differently to high-frequency tectonic and climatic perturbations. Synthetic time series of cyclically forced sediment production display different types of asymmetric variations in grain size, accumulation rate and residence time of sediments in response to tectonic and climatic forcing. The results also highlight the role of vegetation as the principal modulator of climate forcing, and show that the nonlinear response to climate change may frustrate any attempts at providing broad generalizations of the system's responses. The modelling results confirm the usefulness of a combined analysis of sediment composition and sequence geometry, and the mathematically rich behaviour of the system suggests that further development of this approach is likely to increase our ability to reconstruct forcing mechanisms and initial boundary conditions from the detrital record.     

Issues of Spatial and Temporal Variability in Climate Impact Studies

The accuracy of impact estimates relating climate change to regional-scale agricultural production is constrained by the temporal and spatial resolution of climate change projections. Several techniques have been used to compensate for these limitations in order to provide reasonable estimates of the impact of climate change on crop yield. One approach assumes that variability over time can substitute for spatial variability, thereby reducing the need to estimate the impacts at a spatially dense network of stations—an assumption that has not been generally tested. This study evaluates this assumption using methods similar to those employed in the climate impact literature. The findings suggest that current practices are generally defensible if the goal is to provide a range of possible crop responses to climate change. However, the results also show that the assumption is highly sensitive to specific interactions at the soil-plant-atmosphere interface and, consequently, does not hold under certain circumstances.     

气候变化背景下中国玉米生产潜力变化特征

玉米作为中国第一大粮食作物,探究其生产潜力在气候变化背景下的时空变化特征对中国有效应对气候变化具有重要意义。论文结合全球农业生态区模型、极点对称模态分解方法和集对分析方法,探讨了中国玉米生产潜力的周期性波动特征及长期变化趋势,进而分析了其空间格局演变过程。结果表明：1960—2010年间,中国玉米生产潜力呈增加趋势,由1960年代的9.10亿t增至2000年代的9.45亿t左右。在年际尺度上,中国玉米生产潜力主要以准3 a和准5 a的周期进行波动;在年代际尺度上,存在准10 a和准20 a的波动周期。其中,准3 a的周期波动是中国玉米生产潜力长时间变化的最主要特征,这主要是受年降水量变化的影响。从空间格局来看,中国玉米生长适宜区主要集中在加格达奇—锡林浩特—临河—西宁—天水—中甸沿线以东;1960—2000年间,玉米生产潜力界线在中国东北部和临河—西宁沿线发生了较为明显的移动。华北平原、辽河平原、四川盆地等地区的玉米单产潜力变化趋势具有较强的一致性,松嫩平原、三江平原、关中盆地、长江中下游平原等地区的玉米单产潜力变化过程与上述地区恰好相反。在这2类地区,玉米单产潜力的变化均较显著,但变化方向在年代际尺度上具有交替性。     

Modeling historical climate variability and slope stability

This study presents scenario models for historical variations of climate and slope stability. A model for historical annual patterns of temperature and rainfall was established on the basis of seasonal proxies. A process-based, spatio-temporal model for groundwater variations and slope stability was developed using the GIS environment of the software PCRaster. We applied the slope stability model to study the effects of the different climate scenarios on slope stability for three different hillslopes in the area around Bonn (Germany). The findings indicate three climatic phases with different annual temperature and precipitation patterns over the historic period. The modeling results show that a climatic scenario representing unstable conditions of a transition from the more humid Little Ice Age to dryer recent climate produces the highest slope instabilities. The intensity of this impact, however, varies with the sensitivity of the geomorphic system, i.e. local landforms and lithology, and cannot be generally related to the stability of a specific hillslope. More unstable areas are not necessarily more sensitive to climatic changes: the location of permeable layers (prone to groundwater rise) in relation to sensitive layers (lower strength) and higher gradients (higher stress) influences the sensitivity of a site with respect to climate changes. The presented method is capable of modeling landscape sensitivity to climate change with respect to groundwater-controlled landslides.