Implications of climate change on prairie agriculture

Non-Peer ReviewedThe Implications of Climate Change on Prairie Agriculture study is a work in progress which is funded by the Prairie Adaptation Research Cooperative (PARC) and presently being completed by the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA). The objective of this project is to determine the impact of climate change on the current farming practices with the various landscapes of the prairies. It compares 1961-1990 (30 year mean) climate normals and 2040- 2069 (30 year mean) climate model predictions. Data are used from current climate stations for the 1961-90 period and from the Canadian Global Circulation Model (CGCM1) for the 2040-69 period. The Land Suitability Rating System and the Soil Landscapes of Canada will be used to rate the land based on climate, soils and landscape parameters specified. These results will be applied to the Prairie Agricultural Landscapes (PAL) study, completed by PFRA in 2000, which identified unique relationships between farming practices and landscapes across the agricultural landbase of the prairies. Taking a landscape-based approach will provide a better understanding of the sustainability of the current agricultural system with climate change predictions