My Topic: The Anticipated Impacts
Of Climate Change on Apple and Wine-Grape
Growing in British Columbia`s Kamloops
Forest Region
**Global Warming Image courtesy of www.cbsonline.com.
** Apple Image courtesy of www.bctreefruit.com
**Wine Grape Image courtesy of www.bctreefruit.com
For agricultural activities such as growing apples and wine-grapes, climate is a very important factor. Farmers and
agricultural scientists are, understandably, very interested and concerned about the potential effects that climate change
will have on the areas where they will be able to grow certain crops. Climate change is expected to make some areas
more amenable to growing certain crops and other areas less amenable.
In British Columbia, the climate is supposed to become much warmer by 2050, particularly in terms of winter minimum temperatures.
This is also expected to increase the number of frost-free days and the number of growing degree days. At the same time, precipitation
levels are expected to increase as a result of increased evaporation adding moisture to the atmosphere.
In this project, I developed a model to determine how the areas which are good for growing wine-grapes and apples will
change by 2050, why they will change, and whether new areas will become available for wine-grape and apple growing.
Five climatic variables were chosen for my analysis: frost-free days, growing degree days, July maximum temperatures,
January minimum temperatures, and average annual precipitation. Certain levels of these variables were reclassed for
their amenability to wine-grape and apple growing (e.g. 27 to 30 degree temperatures in July are good for apple growing)
in order to develop a multi-criteria suitability model.
The area analyzed was the Kamloops Forest Region and the climatic data was added to the biogeoclimatic zones
within the region that they pertained to.
The sections of the website are as follows:
1) Apples,WineGrapes: Gives background information on apple and
wine-grape growing in British Columbia
2) KamloopsForestRegion: This section discusses the Kamloops Forest Region and the Biogeoclimatic Zones.
3) Methodology: This section discusses the steps that were needed to complete the analyses in the project.
4) TechDecisions: This section discusses some of the technical decisions (such as how to reclassify temperature etc..) that I made during the course of the project and why I made those decisions.
5) Spatial Analysis: This section discusses the various findings of my study and also gives a conclusion.
6) Improvement: This section discusses ways in which I could have done my analysis in a better and easier way.
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Of Climate Change on Apple and Wine-Grape
Growing in British Columbia`s Kamloops
Forest Region
**Global Warming Image courtesy of www.cbsonline.com.
** Apple Image courtesy of www.bctreefruit.com
**Wine Grape Image courtesy of www.bctreefruit.com
For agricultural activities such as growing apples and wine-grapes, climate is a very important factor. Farmers and
agricultural scientists are, understandably, very interested and concerned about the potential effects that climate change
will have on the areas where they will be able to grow certain crops. Climate change is expected to make some areas
more amenable to growing certain crops and other areas less amenable.
In British Columbia, the climate is supposed to become much warmer by 2050, particularly in terms of winter minimum temperatures.
This is also expected to increase the number of frost-free days and the number of growing degree days. At the same time, precipitation
levels are expected to increase as a result of increased evaporation adding moisture to the atmosphere.
In this project, I developed a model to determine how the areas which are good for growing wine-grapes and apples will
change by 2050, why they will change, and whether new areas will become available for wine-grape and apple growing.
Five climatic variables were chosen for my analysis: frost-free days, growing degree days, July maximum temperatures,
January minimum temperatures, and average annual precipitation. Certain levels of these variables were reclassed for
their amenability to wine-grape and apple growing (e.g. 27 to 30 degree temperatures in July are good for apple growing)
in order to develop a multi-criteria suitability model.
The area analyzed was the Kamloops Forest Region and the climatic data was added to the biogeoclimatic zones
within the region that they pertained to.
The sections of the website are as follows:
1) Apples,WineGrapes: Gives background information on apple and
wine-grape growing in British Columbia
2) KamloopsForestRegion: This section discusses the Kamloops Forest Region and the Biogeoclimatic Zones.
3) Methodology: This section discusses the steps that were needed to complete the analyses in the project.
4) TechDecisions: This section discusses some of the technical decisions (such as how to reclassify temperature etc..) that I made during the course of the project and why I made those decisions.
5) Spatial Analysis: This section discusses the various findings of my study and also gives a conclusion.
6) Improvement: This section discusses ways in which I could have done my analysis in a better and easier way.
Backtoindex