Research priorities and best practices for managing climate risk and climate change adaptation in Australian agriculture

George, David; Clewett, J. F.; Lloyd, D. C.; McKellar, Richard; Tan, Poh-Ling; Howden, Mark; Rickards, Lauren; Ugalde, David; Barlow, Snow

doi:10.1080/14486563.2018.1506948

Cited by 18 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…However, the most recent 60-year period also showed a significant upward trend in mean temperature (0.22 C per decade) and vapour pressure deficit (0.58 hPa per decade), and a significant (P < 0.05, R 2 = 0.46) downward trend in estimated annual pasture growth of 70 kg/ha per decade. This is consistent with climate change projections that are likely to cause reduced long-term carrying capacity (McKeon et al 2009;Stokes and Howden 2010;Whish et al 2014) and will, therefore, require ongoing advances and communication of best management practices (Paton et al 2011;George et al 2019) for managing climate risk.…”

Section: Effects Of Climate On Productivity and Economic Returnssupporting

confidence: 68%

“…Examples in the present study are the pastures in C and D condition at the BMK 10 and 11 sites and the Roundview and Mirrabooka paddocks (Table 4). Thus, future management of grazing pressure to maintain pastures in A condition is a significant ongoing challenge and residual risk to sustainable production that will require astute application of best management practices (Paton et al 2011;George et al 2019) with an on-going monitoring program and capacity to adjust, so that pasture condition is maintained.…”

Section: Effects Of Grazing Pressure On Pasture Condition and Sustainabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sustainability of beef production from brigalow lands after cultivation and mining. 3. Pasture rundown, climate and grazing pressure effects

et al. 2021

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Context. The Acland Land System overlying the Walloon sandstone coal deposits in southern Queensland is generally marginal for cropping but well suited to grazing, and thus cultivated land is commonly returned to pasture. Rehabilitation of these lands after open-cut coal mining seeks to be safe, stable and self-sustaining to satisfy requirements for ecologically sustainable development.Aims. The present paper evaluates the sustainability and economic viability of beef production on (a) lands retired from cultivation and then rehabilitated with sown pastures after open-cut coal mining at the New Acland mine site, and (b) similar nearby pasture lands that were not mined but were also retired from cultivation.Methods. The GRASP grazing systems model was modified and calibrated with short-term (5-year) grazing trial data (soil, pasture and cattle observations), and then used with long-term (60-year) weather data to estimate effects of land type, pasture rundown, climate and grazing pressure on productivity and economic returns. The productivity of three rehabilitated sites and 15 unmined sites were evaluated, including pastures on six commercial properties.Key results. Estimates of long-term mean annual growth of pastures on unmined lands retired from cultivation on three land types (Mountain Coolibah, Brigalow Uplands and Poplar Box) were 3398, 2817 and 2325 kg/ha respectively. Pasture growth was greater on rehabilitated lands; 3736 kg/ha on the site most typical of rehabilitated lands and a mean of 4959 kg/ha across three sites. Seasonal conditions had large effects on cattle liveweight gain (133-213 kg/head per year during the trial); however, pasture growth was the main driver of beef production and economic returns per hectare. In GRASP, potential nitrogen uptake was used to influence key pasture growth processes and accounted for 64% of variation in observed annual growth. The short-term lift and subsequent rundown in productivity typically associated with sown pastures was estimated to have increased mean annual pasture and cattle productivity during the 2014-2018 trial period by up to 17% and 25% respectively. Estimates of long-term mean annual beef production and economic returns for the unmined lands were less than estimated for rehabilitated lands and were 139 kg/head.year (45 kg/ha.year) and AU$154/adult equivalent.Conclusions. Rehabilitated lands were found to be sustainable for beef production at grazing pressures up to 30% utilisation of annual pasture growth, and comparable with grazing systems on native and sown pastures in good condition. Pastures on unmined lands retired from cultivation had reduced productivity.Implications. Overgrazing is a significant and on-going residual risk to sustainable production. Grazing regimes need to continually adjust for changes in novel landscapes, pasture condition and climate. The methods used in the present study could be applied more generally.

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Section: Effects Of Climate On Productivity and Economic Returnssupporting

confidence: 68%

Section: Effects Of Grazing Pressure On Pasture Condition and Sustainabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability of beef production from brigalow lands after cultivation and mining. 3. Pasture rundown, climate and grazing pressure effects

et al. 2021

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“…The participants discussed that adaptation, among other practices on the farm, is challenged by lack of resources for optimised decision-making that would enhance synergies between multiple aims, similar to 'no regret' measures (see e.g. George et al, 2018), climate smart agriculture (CSA) and sustainable intensification (SI) (see e.g. Campbell, Thornton, Zougmoré, Van Asten, and Lipper, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate risk perceptions and adaptation decision-making at Nordic farm scale – a typology of risk responses

Käyhkö

2019

International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability

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Agriculture in the Nordic countries is a sector, where farmers are facing climatic challenges first-hand with little policy guidance on climate change adaptation or climate risk management. Adaptation practices emerging at the farm scale have potentially harmful outcomes that can erode the agricultural sustainability. So far, farm-scale decision-making on adaptation measures is scarcely studied, and a thorough assessment of risk perceptions underlying adaptation decision-making is required in the Nordic context to inform adaptation policy planning. In this qualitative case study, the climate risk perceptions of Nordic farmers and agricultural extension officers are examined. As a result, a typology of risk responses is presented, showing three dominant patterns within highly dynamic and contextual adaptation processes at farm scale: risk aversive, opportunity seeking and experimental. The typology represents the variation within adaptation processes that further stress the need for participatory adaptation policy development in agriculture.

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“…Other frameworks are available and, in many cases (e.g., Damania et al, 2010;George et al, 2006George et al, , 2016George et al, , 2019Mira-Salama et al, 2013), the climate change risk matrix framework and the international guidelines for risk management (i.e., ISO 31000, 2018) are more meaningful. George et al (2016) found that the climate change risk matrix is a suitable approach for enhancing water professionals' learnings about climate risk.…”

Section: Limitations Of the Trainingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teaching climate risk: a pilot training for tertiary students and practitioners in Brazil

Amorim

Chaffe

2021

Preprint

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Abstract. Climate change is one of the major challenges of our society thus educational resources on climate risk and adaptation are needed. In this case study, we present a short-duration training for tertiary students and practitioners about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s climate risk framework. The training uses Problem-Based Learning (PBL) pedagogy, and its suitability and benefits are evaluated with observational qualitative analysis and self-assessment of knowledge of the participants of 5 independent groups in Brazil. We find that the application of a mapping exercise using the IPCC’s climate risk framework supports learning about climate risk, as well as data interpretation, creativity, teamwork, communication, and critical thinking by the participants. This work merges the IPCC’s climate risk framework and PBL for climate risk training. The proposed training enables the teaching of climate risk in stand-alone courses and professional development training in areas which climate is an embedded component.

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Research priorities and best practices for managing climate risk and climate change adaptation in Australian agriculture

Cited by 18 publications

References 32 publications

Sustainability of beef production from brigalow lands after cultivation and mining. 3. Pasture rundown, climate and grazing pressure effects

Sustainability of beef production from brigalow lands after cultivation and mining. 3. Pasture rundown, climate and grazing pressure effects

Climate risk perceptions and adaptation decision-making at Nordic farm scale – a typology of risk responses

Teaching climate risk: a pilot training for tertiary students and practitioners in Brazil

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