More than 240 authors from many sectors, including scientists and experts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), worked on the Third National Climate Assessment Release (NCA) report. The authors concluded climate change is already altering agriculture and forestry systems across the country.
Climate change to the agricultural sector has increased in the past 40 years and is expected to increase in the next 25 years, negatively impacting most crops and livestock. According to AgriMarketing, many agricultural regions will see falloffs in crops and livestock from the increase of weeds, diseases and insects. The loss of soil and water resources also will test both rain-fed and irrigated farms and ranches.
Forests are important to carbon exchange, currently absorbing and storing about 16 percent of carbon dioxide. Climate change and forest loss caused by drought, insects and fire is expected to reduce this rate.
The full report can be found at www.globalchange.gov.