ESTIMATION OF SPATIAL CLIMATE VARIABILITY IN AGRICULTURAL ENVIRONMENTS AND
ITS RELEVANCE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ASSESSMENTS
J. Eitzinger1, S. Thaler1, T. Gerersdorfer1, W. Laube1, F. Holawe2, T. Orfanus3
1
2
Institute of Meteorology, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Peter
Jordan Straße 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria; josef.eitzinger@boku.ac.at
Institute of Geography and Regional Research, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, UZA 2, 1090
Vienna, Austria
3 Institute of Hydrology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Raianska 75, 83102 Bratislava, Slovakia
Abstract
Agricultural production conditions are determined to a great extent by local climatic conditions, which
can vary more or less depending on the orography, landscape structures, canopy and surface
conditions. As due to climate change (IPCC, 2007) significant shifts in these local climate conditions
are expected (similar to the shifts in climatic zones in a larger spatial scale) estimation methods to
detect relevant spatial gradients in various climatic parameters are becoming more and more
important as a basis and input for spatial agrometeorological modelling of related climate shifts or
climate change impacts on crops under a high spatial resolution (Eitzinger et al., 2008).
An example for the complex and difficult to estimate parameter of evapotranspiration is the use of
evaporimeters or atmometers as a tool for the detection or measurements of spatial variations of
potential or reference evapotranspiration (e.g. Gavilán and Castillo-Llanque, 2009; McIntyre et al.,
1995, Feldhake & Boyer, 1990, Giambelluca & Nullet, 1992). Especially it is possible to use cheap
manual atmometers, where it is possible to place a number of them within a specific area. As potential
evapotranspiration is integrating several meteorological parameters, it can be effectively used for
microclimatic analyses of local climate phenomena with some additional meteorological
measurements. Although the measurement of relative variations between different measuring points is
relatively simple, the estimation of absolute potential evapotranspiration by evaporimeters needs
calibration against other methods, such as well calibrated evapotranspiration equations. An application
example is given by the estimation of the influence of landscape structures such as hedgerows on field
crop evapotranspiration and water balance (Fig. 1).
Fig.1. Measured and calculated evapotranspiration at different distances to a hedgerow in N-E Austria
Another example presented are measurement results and mapping of local-climatic variations in
vineyards. In vineyards spatial local climate variations by orography, e.g. the modified temperature
and evaporation regime, can determine the characteristic of the terroir, which has an impact on wine
quality. Relevant informations on the current or changing local climatic conditions can be used for the
optimization of production technologies and crop management and even for marketing strategies.
On a local to regional scale climatic variations also interact with soil conditions, especially for water
balance conditions of crops. Climate change impact simulations, for example, show a considerable
impact of soil water storage capacity on crop evapotranspiration and yield potential under climate
scenarios, such as in the Marchfeld region of North-east Austria (Fig.2). It is shown that spatial
variability of the climatic production potential is increasing in this semi-arid region due to the limitations
of soil water storage capacity from the soil under climate scenarios. Soil conditions contribute to the
spatial variability of limiting growing conditions of crops beyond the microclimatic conditions, and
interact to each other.
Fig. 2. Spatial simulated (CERES-barley) change of water stress days for spring barley for the 2050s
in the Marchfeld region (dark areas represent sandy soils with increasing water stress).
Keywords: spatial climate variability, evapotranspiration, climate change impact, agriculture
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