The Unbuilt Environment: Agriculture and Forestry
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Milder winters and higher average temperature • faster maturation, shorter grain-filling period, lower yield of winter wheat,a but now possible to use higher-yielding spring wheat • potential for northward expansion of warm weather crops such as oilseeds, pulses, and vegetablesa • either no changes or favorable changes in potato and sugar-beet yields, but increased variabilitya • winter survival and subsequent proliferation of pestsa • more varieties of apples, plums, and pears Livestock • increased survival, reduced winter feed requirements for livestockc • forage, grassland may benefit but only with proper drainaged,e
Russia: Baltic and Western Arctic Large change, especially in Arctic, and, thus, large uncertainty. Marked increase of precipitation, especially in winter, and of surface water • risk of soil erosion and nutrient leaching from excess rain • excess soil moisture limits days suitable for machinery usea • spring planting disrupted by April or May rains • harvest disrupted, damage from water-logging, or molding of harvested grain if excess rain in autumna Much milder winters and higher average temperature • potential for northward expansion of temperate cereals, vegetables, and pulses in Baltic, and of hardiest crops into uncultivated landc • longer growing seasong • potato yields more variable, though with average increasec • expansion of leaf-bearing forest and steppe range into current tundra and taigac • change in composition of forests, and possible increase in value for timber production Livestock • increased survival, reduced winter feed requirements for livestockc • forage and grassland may benefit but only with proper drainagec,d
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