Global Warming and Crop Production

Global Warming and Crop Production

As global warming makes temperatures rise witnessed will be a decrease in crop production.

It is reported in a Science Daily report entitled: "Will Global Warming Improve Crop Production?" that scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada have predicted, "crops will be at a greater risk of winter damage in the future even though the climate will be warmer." (2002) in a December 2006 news report it is stated that the decrease in monsoons in the country of India "raises the concern of more potential floods and other natural disasters. Monsoons are needed to nourish crops and supply water for farming communities." (Science Daily, 4 Dec. 2006) the problem stated is that the delicate balance that exists with the occurrence of the monsoons has experienced disruption due to factors associated with global warming. In yet another report released December 2006 stated is that "higher temperatures could cause a 40% drop ion some of California's most popular crops by mid-century according to a new research in the journal Agricultural and Forest Meteorology."

II. Discussion of the Independent and Dependent Variable

In attempting to assess the affects of global warming upon crop production there will be a dependent variable, which is that of the temperatures within the area or region that the study takes place. Since the hypothesis states temperatures as the reason that crop production will experience a decrease then proving the hypothesis is 'dependent' upon the variability in the temperature and its' effects upon crop production. In this study, the independent variable will be that of rainfall amounts as related to seasonal rainfall variances and rainfall variances out-of-season in the area or region in the study.

Stated in the work entitled: "What Global Climate Change Could Mean for Wisconsin" is the fact that there are several: "...credible scenarios" (Wisconsin Natural Resources, 2007) that could be faced in the state of Wisconsin and this is true throughout the world which means that there are more than only one 'independent' variables that might be necessary to use in a case study. The precise variables and units of measurement will be greatly dependent upon the area or the region of the study as well as the specific crop to be the focus of the study. For example, in the state of Wisconsin variability in the weather include the following: (1) Wetter winters/driers summers; (2) poor air quality; (3) more frequent floods, droughts, forest fires and storms with damage; and (4) increase in disease-carrying insect populations. (Wisconsin Natural Resources, 2007)

III. Specific Units of Analysis