Climatic factors influencing New Zealand pasture resilience under scenarios of future climate change

Authors

  • Elizabeth Keller GNS Science https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9408-9215
  • Mark Lieffering AgResearch
  • Jing Guo Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research
  • Troy Baisden University of Waikato
  • Anne-Gaelle Ausseil Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33584/rps.17.2021.3458

Keywords:

climate change adaptation, pastoral agriculture

Abstract

New Zealand’s intensively managed pastoral agricultural systems are vulnerable to climate change because of their dependence on grazing livestock and pasture as the primary feed supply. Drawing from recent modelling results, annual pasture yields in New Zealand are projected to be robust to a changing climate due to more favourable growing conditions in winter and early spring and increased plant efficiencies from the CO2 fertilization effect. However, growth is also expected to become more variable and unpredictable, particularly in water-limited regions. A combination of short-term, incremental changes (already part of current practice) and longer-term strategic interventions will be necessary to maintain consistent feed supply under future climate change.

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Published

2021-11-05

How to Cite

Keller, E., Lieffering, M., Guo, J., Baisden, W. T., & Ausseil, A.-G. (2021). Climatic factors influencing New Zealand pasture resilience under scenarios of future climate change. NZGA: Research and Practice Series, 17, 105–122. https://doi.org/10.33584/rps.17.2021.3458

Issue

Vol. 17 (2021): Resilient Pastures Symposium

Section

Resilient Pastures Symposium 2021

License

Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Rights granted to the New Zealand Grassland Association through this agreement are non-exclusive. You are free to publish the work(s) elsewhere and no ownership is assumed by the NZGA when storing or curating an electronic version of the work(s). The author(s) will receive no monetary return from the Association for the use of material contained in the manuscript. If I am one of several co-authors, I hereby confirm that I am authorized by my co-authors to grant this Licence as their agent on their behalf. For the avoidance of doubt, this includes the rights to supply the article in electronic and online forms and systems.