Agriculture and Ranching considers the climate factors that affect crop production and agricultural water use; appraises the effects of projected climate changes on agricultural water allocation, and on ranching and disaster-relief programs; evaluates the economic impacts of climate change and the potential to accommodate changing water supplies, crop yields, and pricing.
Citation:
Frisvold, G. B., L. E. Jackson, J. G. Pritchett, and J. P. Ritten. 2013. “Agriculture and Ranching.” In Assessment of Climate Change in the Southwest United States: A Report Prepared for the National Climate Assessment, edited by G. Garfin, A. Jardine, R. Merideth, M. Black, and S. LeRoy, 218–239. A report by the Southwest Climate Alliance. Washington, DC: Island Press.
George B. Frisvold (University of Arizona)
Louise E. Jackson (University of California, Davis)
James G. Pritchett (Colorado State University)
John P. Ritten (University of Wyoming)
Key Findings
One way to adapt to climate change induced water shortages is to shift the mix of crops grown and to use more efficient irrigation technology.
Many important costs of climate change to agriculture will be adjustment costs, which for tree-crop production can be substantial.
Public and private entities can deliver useful web-based information for climate-change adaptation if they understand user needs and access.
Relocating this agricultural infrastructure, such as irrigation conveyance systems, may be costly, especially if climate change occurs quickly.
The region produces much of the nation’s high-value specialty crops (fruits, vegetables, nuts) that are vulnerable to climate change.
Figure Gallery
Figure 11.1: Agricultural sales by county. Source: USDA (2009, 2012).
Figure 11.2: Groundwater irrigation withdrawals as a share of total irrigation withdrawals. Source: USGS (2005), Kenny et al. (2009).
Figure 11.3: Depth to water of irrigation wells. Source: USDA (2010).
Figure 11.4: Counties in the Southwest in which agricultural producers have limited access to high-speed internet service. Source: USDA (2009, 2012).
Figure 11.5: Counties that have accounted for two-thirds of all payments disbursed to Southwestern States under the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance (SURE) Program. Source: USDA (n.d.).