Sensitivity of typical Mediterranean crops to past and future evolution of seasonal temperature and precipitation in Apulia

The region of Apulia, which is located in the south-east tip of the Italian Peninsula, has a typical Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot-dry summers. Agriculture, an important sector of its economy, is potentially threatened by future climate change. This study describes the evolution of seasonal temperature and precipitation from the recent past to the next decades and estimates future potential impacts of climate change on three main agricultural products: wine, wheat and olives. Analysis is based on instrumental data, on an ensemble of climate projections and on a linear regression model linking these three agricultural products to seasonal values of temperature and precipitation. In Apulia, precipitation and temperature time series show trends toward warmer and marginally drier conditions during the whole analyzed (1951–2005) period: 0.18 °C/decade in mean annual minimum temperature and ?14.9 mm/decade in the annual total precipitation. Temperature trends have been progressively increasing and rates of change have become noticeably more intense during the last 25 years of the twentieth century. Model simulations are consistent with observed trends for the period 1951–2000 and show a large acceleration of the warming rate in the period 2001–2050 with respect to the period 1951–2000. Further, in the period 2001–2050, simulations show a decrease in precipitation, which was not present in the previous 50 years. Wine production, wheat and olive harvest records show large inter-annual variability with statistically significant links to seasonal temperature and precipitation, whose strength, however, strongly depends on the considered variables. Linear regression analysis shows that seasonal temperature and precipitation variability explains a small, but not negligible, fraction of the inter-annual variability of these crops (40, 18, 9 % for wine, olives and wheat, respectively). Results (which consider no adaptation of crops and no fertilization effect of CO₂) suggest that evolution of these seasonal climate variables in the first half of the twenty-first century could decrease all considered variables. The most affected is wine production (?20 ÷ ?26 %). The effect is relevant also on harvested olives (?8 ÷ ?19 %) and negligible on harvested wheat (?4 ÷ ?1 %).     

Impacts of climatic change and low frequency variability in reference series on daily maximum and minimum temperature in southern South America

Understanding the climate and its variability, in particular with regard to their socioeconomic impact, requires specific measurements of precipitation and temperature and their circulations. This becomes more important in applications to diverse systems. In order to improve knowledge about temporal changes and trends in temperature, we analyzed series of maximum and minimum daily surface temperatures at eight reference stations in southeastern South America during variable periods, with the longest periods of around 100 years. To study the evolution of the temperature series and to reduce the number of parameters, a nonhierarchical cluster analysis was performed. The algorithm assigns each day to one of four groups: warm, wet, cold and dry. Low frequency variations were found in these groups and their association with circulation structure, circulation patterns and precipitation. We concluded that the set of wet days is one of the main factors driving secular variations of maximum and minimum temperature and variations in precipitation. We also inferred that after 1920 till 1930, a low frequency oscillation is observed in the form of linear trends (increase of warm days and decrease of cold days).     

Seasonal changes in daily precipitation extremes in mainland Portugal from 1941 to 2007

This study aims mostly at understanding seasonal variations in the intensity, frequency and duration of extreme precipitation events in mainland Portugal. For this purpose, selected precipitation indices that mainly focus on extremes were calculated at the seasonal scale for daily data recorded in the period 1941–2007 at 57 meteorological stations scattered across the area. These indices were explored for trends at the local and regional levels. The results show that there are marked changes in precipitation indices at the seasonal scale. Trends in spring and autumn precipitation have opposite signals. In spring, statistically significant drying trends are found together with a reduction in extremes. In autumn, wetting trends are detected for all indices, although overall they are not significant at the 5 % level. In addition, the relationship between seasonal extreme precipitation indices and atmospheric large-scale modes of low-frequency variability is analysed by means of a seasonal correlation analysis. Four modes of low-frequency variability are explored. Results confirm that, over mainland Portugal, the North Atlantic Oscillation is one of the most important teleconnection patterns in any season and the mode of variability that has the greatest influence on precipitation extremes in the area, particularly in the winter and autumn.     

成都未来气候变化趋势的R/S分析

运用R/S分析法,对1951～2002年成都的平均值气温、极端气温值及降水累积值进行了计算分析。研究表明,成都未来气候变化趋势与过去50年来的变化趋势有着很好的自相似性。今后成都将继续变暖。依平均气候倾向率,未来10年,年平均气温将升高0.25°C,年平均最低气温将升高0.14 °C,年平均最高气温将升高0.04 °C,年极端最低气温将升高0.54 °C,年极端最高气温将升高0.13 °C。其中,年平均气温、年平均最低气温和年平均最高气温升高趋势的持续性强度很强。成都未来降水量将继续减少。未来10年的年降水量将减少45.2 mm,并且这种减少趋势具有很强的持续性强度。     

９６１~２０１０年中国大陆地面气候要素变化特征分析

利用1961~2010年全国大陆地面468个气象台站的气温、降水和日照时数等资料,采用Jones等提出的计算区域平均气候时间序列的方法对全国数据进行加权平均处理,采用线性趋势、反距离加权插值、Morlet小波分析、Mann Kendall法,分析了我国大陆地面近50 a来各气候要素的变化特征。研究表明：年平均气温、年平均最低气温、年平均最高气温、年极端最低气温、年极端最高气温均呈显著上升趋势,年平均温度差、年极端温度差、年平均日照时数均呈显著减少趋势;年平均气温、年平均降水、年平均最低气温、年平均最高气温、年极端最低气温、年极端最高气温、年平均温度差、年极端温度差、年平均日照时数分别存在14、26、14、14、25、16、26、25和25 a左右的变化主周期;在005的置信度水平下,年平均最高气温、年极端最低气温、年极端最高气温、年极端温度差、年平均降水和年平均日照时数均发生突变,其分别在1996、1981、1997、1975、1983和1982年发生突变,其余要素均未发生突变。分析还发现,各气候要素的变化主周期分别存在一定的相似性,突变时间也存在一定联系     

Decadal variability of floods in the northern foreland of the Tatra Mountains

Floods in the northern foreland of the Tatra Mountains considerably contribute to the total flood damage in Poland. Therefore, the question whether the magnitude and frequency of floods have changed in this region is of high interest. This study aims at investigating the inter-decadal variability of magnitude, frequency and seasonality of floods since the mid-twentieth century, to better understand regional changes. The analysis was accomplished in a multi-temporal approach whereby trends are fitted to every possible combination of start and end years in a record. Detected trends were explained by estimating correlations between the investigated flood parameters and different large-scale climate indices for the northern hemisphere, and by trends found in intense precipitation indices, number of days with snow cover, cyclonic circulation types, temperature and moisture conditions. Catchment and channel changes that occurred in the region over the past decades were also considered. Results show that rivers in the area exhibit considerable inter-decadal variability of flows. The magnitude and direction of short-term trends are heavily influenced by this inter-decadal variability; however, certain patterns are apparent. More extreme, although perhaps less frequent floods are now likely to occur, with a shift in the seasonality, decreasing flood magnitudes in winter and increasing during autumn and spring. The identification of the factors contributing to the occurrence of flood events and their potential changes is valuable to enhance the flood management in the region and to improve the resilience of the population in this mountainous area.     

环洱海地区气候变化特征研究

环洱海地区是云南省具有高原湖泊生态脆弱区、民族文化多元融合区和乡村经济发展活跃区等多重叠合特征的典型区域,是全球气候变化影响的敏感区和脆弱区。以环洱海地区1951~2014年6个基本站点的逐年平均气温、极端最高气温、极端最低气温、降水量、最大日降水量和日降水量≥0.1 mm日数资料为基础。采用线性倾向估计、Mann-Kendall趋势检验、Morlet小波分析和R/S分析等方法,研究了环洱海地区气候变化规律。结果发现:自1951年以来,环洱海地区年均气温和极端最低气温呈现出升高的趋势,而极端最高气温则呈现降低的趋势,变化速率分别为0.07℃/10 a、0.03℃/10 a和–0.14℃/10 a,对于年降水量、最大日降水量和降水日数而言,三者均为减少趋势,速率分别为–12.85 mm/10 a、–1.09mm/10 a和–1.73 d/10 a;环洱海地区年均气温、极端最高和极端最低气温均没有发生突变,年降水量和降水日数在2010年发生了一次减少突变,而最大日降水量则没有检测到突变的年份;环洱海地区年平均气温和年降水量在长时间尺度上的周期性变化最为显著,分别存在30 a和33 a左右的周期变化,并贯穿整个研究时段,而短时间尺度上的周期变化局域性特征突出;从未来演变趋势来看,年平均气温和极端最低气温将维持升温趋势,而极端最高气温则将持续降低趋势,年降水量继续减少的趋势未来将会逆转,但最大日降水量和降水日数两者将持续减少的概率更大。     

长江三峡库区和上游气候变化特点及其影响

利用1961～2010年逐日气温、降水等气象观测资料分析三峡库区和长江流域等地区气象要素的气候长期变化趋势,并利用监测资料和数值模拟试验初步分析了水库蓄水后对三峡库区附近局地的天气气候的可能影响。结果表明:近50 a来三峡库区平均气温呈现上升趋势,降水量具有年代际变化特征,21世纪以来库区降水转为少雨期;气温和降水的变化都与长江上游乃至整个长江流域的变化趋势基本一致。水库蓄水后对库区附近气温产生调节作用,夏季降温和冬季增温效应明显;蓄水后库区年降水量没有明显变化。总体上,三峡水库对附近气候影响范围一般不超过20 km     

恩施地区近54年降水量变化特征分析

基于湖北省恩施州的4个气象站点（巴东、绿葱坡、恩施、来凤）以及周边的3个站点（万州、奉节、五峰）近54 a逐年的降水量数据,利用气候倾向率法、ARCGIS空间分析法、小波周期分析法（Wavelet Analysis）和Mann Kendall突变分析法分别对研究区的降水量的时空变化、周期变化、突变进行了分析。研究表明：湖北恩施地区近54 a降水量呈现出波动式的下降趋势,20世纪90年代后尤为明显。从时间变化来看,70年代和90年代的降水量的下降量要比其它年代降水增加量要大;四季变化中除了冬季降水量呈现出较为明显的上升趋势外,其它3个季节降水量呈现较为明显的下降趋势。从空间变化来看,降水量最多的区域主要集中在绿葱坡地区,最少的区域主要集中在东北部的巴东和西北部利川的部分区域,形成了“一高两低”且有东北部向西部逐渐减少的分布态势     

基于Kriging插值的1961~2005年淮河流域降水时空演变特征分析

利用淮河流域4省170个气象站点1961~2005年的降水观测数据,采用Kriging法对淮河流域各季及年降水量进行了插值,得到了1 km×1 km降水栅格序列。在此基础上,对淮河流域降水的时空格局及其变化特征进行了分析。结果表明：淮河流域降水量的空间分布基本呈南高北低、山区多于平原、近海多于内陆的格局。近45 a来淮河流域降水量的年际波动较为强烈,而变化趋势不显著。流域内汛期和年降水量的年代际变化则具有明显的阶段性,主要表现在20世纪90年代前基本为下降趋势,2000年后明显上升。当前,淮河流域正处于降水的高气候变率时期。45 a来,降水的空间格局发生了一定的变化,表现在淮河中上游和干流沿岸地区的降水量升高,而流域东北部的降水则呈下降趋势     

三峡库区近50年来的气温变化趋势

利用三峡库区及周边32个气象站点1960~2006年的气温资料,运用线性趋势分析、累积距平分析和〖WTBX〗t〖WTBZ〗检验等统计学方法研究了三峡库区近50 a来的气温变化趋势。研究结果表明：（1）近50 a来三峡库区气温变化总体上呈显著上升趋势,增温率为013℃/10 a;其中1960’s~1980’s末存在一个缓慢降温过程,1980’s末后快速增温。（2）三峡库区各季节平均气温变化过程与年气温变化过程相似,总体上也呈上升趋势,春、夏、秋、冬四季平均气温增温率分别为010、0005、019和021℃/10 a,其中冬季气温上升对库区年平均气温上升的贡献率最大。（3）年均气温跃变出现在1996年,春、夏、秋、冬四季气温跃变点分别出现在1996、1993、1997、1996年,季节气温的跃变与年均气温跃变具有较好的同步性。（4）三峡库区偏暖和显著偏暖年份都发生在1996年以后,其中1998〖JP2〗和2006年为异常偏暖年份;偏冷年份基本出现在1990’s以前,尤其集中在1980’s,但无显著偏冷和异常偏冷年份。〖     

Multi-GCM projections of future drought and climate variability indicators for the Mediterranean region

Future climate conditions for the Mediterranean region based on an ensemble of 16 Global Climate Models are expressed and mapped using three approaches, giving special attention to the intermodel uncertainty. (1) The scenarios of mean seasonal temperature and precipitation agree with the projections published previously by other authors. The results show an increase in temperature in all seasons and for all parts of the Mediterranean with good intermodel agreement. Precipitation is projected to decrease in all parts and all seasons (most significantly in summer) except for the northernmost parts in winter. The intermodel agreement for the precipitation changes is lower than for temperature. (2) Changes in drought conditions are represented using the Palmer Drought Severity Index and its intermediate Z-index product. The results indicate a significant decrease in soil moisture in all seasons, with the most significant decrease occurring in summer. The displayed changes exhibit high intermodel agreement. (3) The climate change scenarios are defined in terms of the changes in parameters of the stochastic daily weather generator calibrated with the modeled daily data; the emphasis is put on the parameters, which affect the diurnal and interdiurnal variability in weather series. These scenarios indicate a trend toward more extreme weather in the Mediterranean. Temperature maxima will increase not only because of an overall rise in temperature means, but partly (in some areas) because of increases in temperature variability and daily temperature range. Increased mean daily precipitation sums on wet days occurring in some seasons, and some parts of the Mediterranean may imply higher daily precipitation extremes, and decreased probability of wet day occurrence will imply longer drought spells all across the Mediterranean.     

Precipitation-driven decrease in wildfires in British Columbia

Trends of summer precipitation and summer temperature and their influence on trends in summer drought and area burned in British Columbia (BC) were investigated for the period 1920–2000. The complexity imposed by topography was taken into account by incorporating high spatial resolution climate and fire data. Considerable regional variation in trends and in climate–fire relationships was observed. A weak but significant increase in summer temperature was detected in northeastern and coastal BC, whereas summer precipitation increased significantly in all regions—by up to 45.9 %. A significant decrease in province-wide area burned and at the level of sub-units was strongly related to increasing precipitation, more so than to changing temperature or drought severity. A stronger dependence of area burned on precipitation, a variable difficult to predict, implies that projected changes in future area burned in this region may yield higher uncertainties than in regions where temperature is predominantly the limiting factor for fire activity. We argue that analyses of fire–climate relationships must be undertaken at a sufficiently high resolution such that spatial variability in limiting factors on area burned like precipitation, temperature, and drought is captured within units.     

Heavy precipitation events over the Euro-Mediterranean region in a warmer climate: results from CMIP5 models

Possible changes in the intensity of heavy precipitation events at the end of the twenty-first century over the Euro-Mediterranean region are investigated, using a subset of numerical climate simulations taking part to the fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). As a measure of the intensity associated with heavy precipitation events, we use the difference between the 99th and the 90th percentiles. Despite a slight tendency to underestimate the observed heavy precipitation intensity during summer and to overestimate it during winter, the considered CMIP5 models well represent the observed patterns of the defined 99th–90th percentile metric during both seasons for the 1997–2005 period over the Euro-Mediterranean region. Over the investigated domain, an increase of the width of the right tail of the precipitation distribution is projected in a warmer climate, even over regions where nearly the entire precipitation distribution becomes dryer. This is the case of the European domain within the 45N–55N belt.     

Impacts of interannual climate variability on past and future forest composition

Numerous analyses of the possible impacts of future climatic changes on tree species composition have been published for both lowland and high-elevation forests. Most of these studies were based on the application of forest "gap" models, and the vast majority of them considered only changes in the average of climatic parameters over time. In this study, we use a unique data set on reconstructed past climatic variations to analyse forest dynamics simulated by the forest gap model ForClim. This analysis forms the basis for a systematic exploration of the ecological effects of changing means vs. changing variability of climate on central European forests. A reconstruction of historical climate covering the last 470 years in the Swiss lowlands (ClimIndex) is extrapolated to a transect across the alpine (cold) treeline and used to simulate the influence of climate variations on the time scale of decades on forest biomass and tree species composition at both sites. While the simulation at the low-elevation site shows little sensitivity to climate variations, the results from upper subalpine forests suggest that two major dieback events would have occurred at elevations above the current but below the climatic tree line, induced by clusters of exceptionally cold summers. The results are in agreement with available dendrochronological data and with documentary evidence on massive negative impacts on flora and fauna at high elevations during these periods. We conclude that ForClim is capable of capturing the effects on tree population dynamics of climate variability at these sites as reconstructed from the ClimIndex record. A factorial design is used to address the sensitivity of ForClim to changes of the long-term averages vs. changes of the variability of monthly temperature and precipitation data. To this end, the simulated tree species composition of near-natural forests is examined along a climate gradient in Europe. The results indicate that there are three types of forest response: (1) little sensitivity to both kinds of change, (2) strong sensitivity to changes in the means, but little sensitivity to changing variability, and (3) strong sensitivity to changing variability at least in parts of the examined climate space. Half of the cases investigated fall under the third category, suggesting that emphasis should be placed on also assessing the sensitivity of ecosystems to future changes in climate variability rather than on changes of average values alone. Electronic Publication     

未来50年鄱阳湖流域气候变化预估

据 ECHAM5/ MPI OM模式在3种排放情景（SRES高排放A2,中排放A1B,低排放B1）下所做的21世纪前50年气候变化预估试验得到的数据,研究鄱阳湖流域2001~2050年气温和降水相对于目前气候（1961~1990年）的可能变化。结果表明：①未来50年气温在3种排放情景下都将迅速增加,远远高于1990s的增加幅度和速度。A1B情景温度增加最明显,平均气温变化达到162°C。②降水量变化相对复杂,前30年主要为减少趋势,A2情景下减少幅度最大,2020s年均降水量减少了67%;后20年降水量增加,B1情景增加最显著,2030s年增加幅度达到108%。③根据预估的各季节变化结果,1~3月和 4~6月降水量增加;而降水减少主要在7~9月和10~12月,则赣江流域类似于2003~2005年的伏旱、秋旱连冬旱的情况将可能阶段性出现,并在2011~2030年加强。④降水量的空间分异非常明显,东部变化大于西部,南部变化大于北部。⑤如果2001~2050年在A2或A1B情景下,降水序列存在20a的周期振荡;在B1情景下,存在30a的周期振荡。人类排放增加可能弱化振荡强度,并使周期发生变化。     

近51年川滇地区气候暖干化与旱涝灾害趋势判断

为揭示川滇地区气候特征与旱涝灾害趋势,以川滇地区70个气象站点1961～2011年的逐月气温、降水资料为基础,采用线性回归、五年滑动平均、M K突变检验、反距离加权空间插值、Z指数法、Morlet小波变换等方法,对川滇地区气候变化特征与旱涝灾害进行了分析。结果表明：近51 a川滇地区气温以021℃/10 a的速率增加;降水量以1076 mm/10 a的速率减少;尤其是20世纪90年代末期以来正经历着以增温和变干为趋势的气候变化特征,气候暖干化趋势明显。近51 a川滇地区年旱涝灾害总的趋势是向干旱发展,以2000年为转折点,2000年以前该区多涝灾,2000年后多旱灾,这与该区的气温与降水变化一致,气候暖干化的结果直接导致了旱灾加剧。川滇地区春、冬两季旱涝年际周期变化规律强,Z指数呈上升趋势,降水量增加;夏季旱涝周期变化十分显著,旱涝灾害程度加剧,干旱化趋势明显;秋季旱涝变化周期性不强,呈弱干旱化趋势发展     

汉江流域1956~2016年汛期降水时空演变格局

基于汉江流域96个雨量站点1956~2016年长系列降水数据，采用数理统计法诊断了汉江流域汛期降水时空演变特征。研究发现汉江流域汛期面平均降水历年总体变化趋势不显著，但在1989年存在较强跳跃性，并伴随有22 a、8 a和3 a主周期震荡；受流域气候及地形影响，流域汛期降水空间分布不均。流域上游西南区和汉江下游等地常成降水中心，易形成“辐射型”、“南北型”和“东北-西南型”3种空间分布模态，方差贡献率分别为41.1%、12.4%和7.6%；近年来流域西南部汉中、安康、神农架地区及汉江下游天门、仙桃一带局地降水显著上升，流域东北部商州、凤镇一带及唐白河流域局地降水显著下降，汛期降水“东北-西南型”分布模态日渐走强。流域降水时空分布及演变特性直接关系到流域水资源合理开发与利用，进一步加深了对汉江流域降水要素变化规律的认识，研究成果对流域洪涝灾害应对、雨洪资源利用及水资源优化配置具有参考借鉴价值。     

Usefulness and uses of climate forecasts for agricultural extension in South Carolina,USA

Farmers and extensionists can use forecasts about agro-climatic conditions to reduce risks of agricultural production. Eighteen extension agents, researchers, consultants, and farmers provided feedback about decision support tools that utilize such forecasts during focus groups that were conducted in Florence, South Carolina on January 14, 2011. Climate Risk and County Yield Database were the tools most selected as potentially useful for agricultural extension in South Carolina. An irrigation scheduler was the most frequently mentioned tool to be developed. Also, a survey of Clemson University’s extension personnel was conducted in January and February 2011 to assess interest of South Carolina’s growers and producers in using climate forecasts, eleven potential uses of climate forecasts by extension’s clientele, and potential usefulness to extensionists of twelve specific forecasts. Clemson’s extensionists represent approximately 97 % of the state’s agricultural extensionists. They are more likely than not to agree that growers and producers are interested in using climate forecasts. Most of the state’s extension personnel also think that farmers could use a climate forecast to improve irrigation management and planting schedules. A majority of the state’s extensionists thinks that a freeze alert could be useful to them and the proportion that thinks the forecast could be useful exceeds the proportion that thinks any other forecast could be useful. Most extensionists also think that a forecast of plant moisture stress could be useful to help farmers schedule irrigation. The key survey results are remarkably similar to those from surveys of extension personnel at North Carolina State University in early 2009 and University of Florida in late 2004.     

鄱阳湖流域1960～2018年极端气温变化及其与大气环流的关系

为进一步揭示鄱阳湖流域极端气温事件变化及其影响因素,基于鄱阳湖流域24个气象站点连续59年观测资料,选取8个极端气温指数,分析鄱阳湖流域极端气温动态变化,并探讨了大气环流与极端气温变化的联系.结果表明:(1)鄱阳湖流域极端气温暖指数(暖昼天数、暖夜天数和夏日天数)及极值指数(日最低气温最小值和日最高气温最大值)均呈增加趋势;冷指数(冷昼天数、冷夜天数和霜冻天数)均呈逐渐减少趋势.(2)从空间分布来看,极端气温空间变化趋势与年际变化一致,极端气温暖指数和极值指数呈增加趋势,冷指数均呈减少趋势,但在不同地区变化趋势存在差异.流域各站点霜冻天数和冷昼天数均呈显著下降趋势,但在赣北地区下降趋势最显著.大部分站点(23/24)暖夜天数、夏日天数和日最低气温最小值均呈显著增加趋势;(3)鄱阳湖流域极端气温指数的变化与大气环流的变化存在相关性,其中西太平洋副高强度指数、夏季东亚季风指数、亚洲区极涡强度指数和北极涛动指数对极端气温事件影响显著.研究结果可为极端气候风险评估、灾害预警提供参考.