LandCaRe 2020 – Land, Climate and Resources

Background and Goals

The LandCaRe (Land, Climate and Resources) 2020 joint project deals with the effects of regional climate change on agriculture and agro-ecosystems. Concerning the maintenance and viability of rural areas agriculture plays a significant role assuming economical, ecological and social functions. Sustainable development of rural areas is therefore connected with the future existence of agriculture. Climate change is increasingly influencing the general conditions of agriculture and requires – besides climate protection – suitable measures for adaptation taking into account the respective regional and local conditions.

Within this research project instruments will be developed to provide knowledge for decision making in agriculture, related economic fields and environmental issues in rural areas. Central objective of the project is the development of a dynamic decision support system (DSS), which can be adapted to different regions interactively producing scenarios with varying land-use and management options. The DSS includes modules for past and future climate scenarios and weather statistics, effects on plant production and agricultural income as well as potential risks of extreme events. Also ecological aspects like water and material fluxes, site potentials of vegetation and biodiversity are considered. The DSS is developed on the basis of the two model regions of Uckermark on the northeast German Plain and Weißeritzkreis in the eastern Ore Mountains and which is transferred to other regions.

Steps in the process of adaptation to climate change

Step 1: Understand and describe climate change

Approach and results

The DSS includes past and future climate trends and weather statistics, effects on crop production and agricultural yield as well as risks of damage from extreme events. Ecological aspects such as water and material fluxes, site potentials of vegetation and biodiversity are considered as well.

The climate data used are results of the regional climate models WETTREG and CLM. Means of two realizations for each of the emission scenarios A1B and B1 were used. For periods in the past control runs and for the period 2001-2050 climate projections were used.

Parameter (climate signals)

Altered rainfall patterns
Higher average temperatures

Further times

The considered time periods of past meteorological data reach from 1950 to date. The future scenarios emphasize on the period 2016 to 2025 but will also include further developments up to the period 2036 to 2045.

Step 2a: Identify and assess risks - climate effects and impact

Approach and results

Sustainable development of rural areas is linked to the future viability of agriculture. Climate change may affect agriculture either positively or negatively which requires suitable adaptation measures as well as consistent climate protection effort.

Step 3: Develop and compare measures

Measures and/or strategies

There are no specific adaptation measures worked out in this project. The objective is rather to generate information for decision makers inr agriculture and other rural actors, which in turn leads then to appropriate adaption measures to impacts of regional climate change.

Time horizon

2011–2040 (near future)
2021–2050 (near future)

Participants

Funding / Financing

Funding programme “klimazwei – research for climate protection and protection from climate impacts”, Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany

Project management

Dresden University of Technology, Department of Meteorology

Cooperation/Partners

Dresden University of Technology, Department of Meteorology;

Federal Agricultural Research Center (FAL), Institute of Agroecology, Braunschweig;

Federal Agricultural Research Center (FAL), Institute of Rural Studies, Braunschweig;

Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Institute of Landscape Systems Analysis, Müncheberg;

Helmholtz-ZentrumGeesthacht Centre for Materials and Coastal Research, Institute for Coastal Research;

University of Bonn, Meteorological Institute;

Contact

Technische Universität Dresden
Institut für Hydrologie und Meteorologie
Pienner Str. 23
D-01737 Tharandt

LandCaRe 2020 – Land, Climate and Resources | Umweltbundesamt