Agriculture
Climate is the most significant factor in determining plant growth and productivity. Without intervention to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, global average surface temperature is projected to increase by about 0.2°C per decade during the 21st century. This rapid change in climate will have major implications for agriculture around the world. Crop growth is often limited by temperature. Temperatures during the 21st century are expected to increase more in the higher latitudes where shifts in vegetation will be greater. In Britain an increase in temperature of 1.5°C by 2050 is the equivalent of a decrease in altitude of approximately 200m. This is the same as a shift southward in latitude of 200-300 km. Such an increase in temperature would allow widespread maize cultivation across southern England to take place. In other regions however, a rise in temperature may not be so beneficial. Small increases in temperature would extend the range of temperature-limited pests. The European ...