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Impact of climate change on agriculture in Northern Norway and potential strategies for adaptation

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Abstract

This study evaluates the effects of climate change on agriculture in Northern Norway. It is based on downscaled climate projections for six different municipalities combined with interviews with farmers, advisors and administrative personnel in these municipalities. The projections document large climatic differences both between and within the different municipalities. The main predicted climatic changes include increasing temperatures and precipitation as well as increased frequency of certain types of extreme weather events. Despite challenges such as unstable winters, increased autumn precipitation and possibly more weeds and diseases, a prolongation of the current short growth season together with higher growth temperatures can give new opportunities for agriculture here. The impacts are expected to differ both within and between municipalities and will require tailored adaptive strategies. Most of these however should pose no difficulty implementing, having an agronomical basis that farmers are accustomed to cope with.

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Acknowledgments

The project was funded by the Norwegian Research Council, the County Councils of Nordland and Troms, and the County Governors of Troms, Nordland and Finnmark. A special thanks to the farmers and advisors who shared their experiences with us, and to the North Norwegian Agricultural Council for initiating the project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research, Bioforsk Nord Holt, 9269, Tromsø, Norway

    Eivind Uleberg & Sigridur Dalmannsdottir

  2. Norwegian Meteorological Institute, 0313, Oslo, Norway

    Inger Hanssen-Bauer

  3. Telemark University College, 3800, Bø, Norway

    Inger Hanssen-Bauer

  4. Cicero – Center for International Climate and Environmental Research, 0318, Oslo, Norway

    Bob van Oort

Authors
  1. Eivind Uleberg
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  2. Inger Hanssen-Bauer
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  3. Bob van Oort
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  4. Sigridur Dalmannsdottir
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Correspondence to Eivind Uleberg.

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Uleberg, E., Hanssen-Bauer, I., van Oort, B. et al. Impact of climate change on agriculture in Northern Norway and potential strategies for adaptation. Climatic Change 122, 27–39 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-013-0983-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-013-0983-1

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