Current climate models and projections may be inaccurate because measurements are based on guidelines that do not include the effects of trees on the local climate, according to agroforestry experts, reports Dyna Rochmyaninsih at the UK Guardian. This may be hindering effective adaptation by local farming communities, as the effect of climate change on crops is not accurately captured. Trees can influence many climate factors predicted by modeling, so their effects should be added to climate maps, scientists from the World Agroforestry Centre said in a new book, How people and trees can co-adapt to climate change. The book notes that enhancing tree cover for agricultural purposes is a good adaptation mechanism. “Modifying tree cover in agricultural landscapes to adjust micro-climates for crops has a long history,” the book says, citing the African Sahel parklands, where trees protect grain crops from excessive heat and maintain soil moisture; South-East Asian coastal zones, where intercropping with coconut has a long tradition; and 3) mountain slopes, where ‘shade trees’ are used with cocoa, coffee or tea farming. But “none of this has yet made it into national climate-adaptation planning”.
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Include trees in climate modelling, say scientists. Lack of accurate information on the effects of trees on local climate is likely hindering effective adaptation by local farming communities, as the true impact of climate change on crops is not accurately captured. SciDev.Net http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jan/16/climate-change-forests?newsfeed=true
Fast atmospheric reactions. A key type of intermediate in atmospheric chemistry reacts faster to form compounds that produce cooling aerosols than previously realized. The experimental results indicate that the role of green plants—emissions from which help form the intermediates—in combating global warming may be larger than currently understood. Chemical & Engineering News
