Northwest U.S. Agriculture in a Changing Climate: Collaboratively Defined Research and Extension Priorities

Frontiers in Environmental Science

Laurie L. Houston¹  Timothy W. Ewing²  Chad E. Kruger³  Georgine G. Yorgey³  Elizabeth R. Allen⁴  Kirti Rajagopalan⁴  Sonia A. Hall⁵  Brooke R. Saari⁵  Vincent P. Jones⁶  John T. Abatzoglou⁷  Harold P. Collins⁸  Gabrielle E. Roesch-McNally⁹  Beatrice Van Horne⁹  Elizabeth M. Whitefield^1,10  Nichole M. Embertson^1,11 

[1] 0Department of Applied Economics, Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR, United States;1Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State UniversityPuyallup, WA, United States;Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State UniversityMount Vernon, WA, United States;Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State UniversityPullman, WA, United States;Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State UniversityWenatchee, WA, United States;Department of Entomology, Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Washington State UniversityWenatchee, WA, United States;Department of Geography, University of IdahoMoscow, ID, United States;Grassland, Soil and Water Research Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research ServiceTemple, TX, United States;Northwest Climate Hub, United States Department of AgricultureCorvallis, OR, United States;Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State UniversityPuyallup, WA, United States;Whatcom Conservation DistrictLynden, WA, United States;

关键词: actionable science;    climate services;    knowledge coproduction;    climate change;    mitigation;    adaptation;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fenvs.2017.00052

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

In order for agricultural systems to successfully mitigate and adapt to climate change there is a need to coordinate and prioritize next steps for research and extension. This includes focusing on “win-win” management practices that simultaneously provide short-term benefits to farmers and improve the sustainability and resiliency of agricultural systems with respect to climate change. In the Northwest U.S., a collaborative process has been used to engage individuals spanning the research-practice continuum. This collaborative approach was utilized at a 2016 workshop titled “Agriculture in a Changing Climate,” that included a broad range of participants including university faculty and students, crop and livestock producers, and individuals representing state, tribal and federal government agencies, industry, nonprofit organizations, and conservation districts. The Northwest U.S. encompasses a range of agro-ecological systems and diverse geographic and climatic contexts. Regional research and science communication efforts for climate change and agriculture have a strong history of engaging diverse stakeholders. These features of the Northwest U.S. provide a foundation for the collaborative research and extension prioritization presented here. We focus on identifying research and extension actions that can be taken over the next 5 years in four areas identified as important areas by conference organizers and participants: (1) cropping systems, (2) livestock systems, (3) decision support systems to support consideration of climate change in agricultural management decisions; and (4) partnerships among researchers and stakeholders. We couple insights from the workshop and a review of current literature to articulate current scientific understanding, and priorities recommended by workshop participants that target existing knowledge gaps, challenges, and opportunities. Priorities defined at the Agriculture in a Changing Climate workshop highlight the need for ongoing investment in interdisciplinary research integrating social, economic, and biophysical sciences, strategic collaborations, and knowledge sharing to develop actionable science that can support informed decision-making in the agriculture sector as the climate changes.

【 授权许可】

Unknown