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Could agave hold the secret to more drought-resistant farming?
Posted by ClimateWire: Niina Heikkinen on July 14th, 2015
ClimateWire: Agave may be most associated with tequila, but this plant has a less familiar use -- it's teaching scientists about how to craft more drought-resistant plants. The hardy succulent, along with species like prickly pear (an edible cactus), pineapple and vanilla orchids, has evolved over millions of years to perform a different kind of photosynthesis that allows the plants to survive in semiarid environments where water isn't always readily available. The process is called crassulacean acid metabolism,...
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Agriculture losses drought set jump 23% this year, economy coping
Posted by ClimateWire: Niina Heikkinen on June 4th, 2015
ClimateWire: This year, California farmers will likely experience worse drought conditions than they did in 2014, but a preliminary report suggests the economic impacts won't be as severe as some researchers had anticipated.
According to data collected by researchers at the University of California, Davis, the amount of available surface water supply will be about 33 percent less on average.
While the reduced water level is significant, increased groundwater pumping is expected to help buffer the agricultural...
Extinction or ‘translocation’ as impacts climate change increase?
Posted by ClimateWire: Niina Heikkinen on August 16th, 2014
ClimateWire: Climate change is altering the way some scientists are trying to save endangered plant and animal species from extinction.
For nearly 100 years, conservationists have focused preservation efforts on maintaining species' historical ranges and reintroducing captive-bred species to boost dwindling populations. Now, some scientists are experimenting with a new approach.
"What's changed over the years is we introduce [species] into areas where they have never been before," said Philip Seddon an...