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Climate change affects agriculture and land use and that
in turn affects groundwater.
Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
want to know more.
It really is one of the first studies to look at how climate might affect
groundwater quality.
Climate change is expected to reduce water availability
in the Southern Plains, shifting agriculture to places like Nebraska
with its stable groundwater supply.
And we think that shift in that economic activity is going to
result in land use changes.
So we might see intensification of agriculture and we want to
look at how that shift in land use might affect groundwater.
Researchers are examining the potential impact of three chemicals used in ag production
with potential to contaminate groundwater.
Historical data and soil samples will help build a model for the future.
Hopefully we can show trends, increases, decreases, or no effects
of loadings of these compounds to groundwater as a result of this.
An economic model predicts how the agricultural system will respond to climate change.
If climate change were to lead to an increase in crop production,
say of corn production in our state, that may lead indirectly to an increase in
the livestock raised in our state and to our level of ethanol production.
Researchers from engineering, economics, water science and community and regional planning
bring their expertise to the project.
It's funded by a joint National Science Foundation, US Department of Agriculture program
that supports interdisciplinary research on water and climate.
Interdisciplinary work raises questions that foster creativity in looking at things in new ways.
Researchers believe the models they develop can be used across the country
to help decision makers meet the challenge of climate change.
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