This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.
Coastal wetlands in the Mekong Delta (MD), Vietnam, provide various vital ecosystem services for the region. These wetlands have experienced critical changes due to the increase in regional anthropogenic activities, global climate change, and the associated sea level rise (SLR). However, documented information and research on the dynamics and drivers of these important wetland areas remain limited for the region. The present study aims to determine the long-term dynamics of wetlands in the south-west coast of the MD using remote sensing approaches, and analyse the potential factors driving these dynamics. Wetland maps from the years 1995, 2002, 2013, and 2020 at a 15 m spatial resolution were derived from Landsat images with the aid of a hybrid classification approach. The accuracy of the wetland maps was relatively high, with overall accuracies ranging from 86–93%. The findings showed that the critical changes over the period 1995/2020 included the expansion of marine water into coastal lands, showing 129% shoreline erosion; a remarkable increase of 345% in aquaculture ponds; and a reduction of forested wetlands and rice fields/other crops by 32% and 73%, respectively. Although mangrove forests slightly increased for the period 2013/2020, the overall trend was also a reduction of 5%. Our findings show that the substantial increase in aquaculture ponds is at the expense of mangroves, forested wetlands, and rice fields/other crops, while shoreline erosion significantly affected coastal lands, especially mangrove forests. The interaction of a set of environmental and socioeconomic factors were responsible for the dynamics. In particular, SLR was identified as one of the main underlying drivers; however, the rapid changes were directly driven by policies on land-use for economic development in the region. The trends of wetland changes and SLR implicate their significant effects on environment, natural resources, food security, and likelihood of communities in the region sustaining for the long-term. These findings can assist in developing and planning appropriate management strategies and policies for wetland protection and conservation, and for sustainable development in the region.
An T. N. Dang; Lalit Kumar; Michael Reid; Ho Nguyen. Remote Sensing Approach for Monitoring Coastal Wetland in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam: Change Trends and Their Driving Forces. Remote Sensing 2021, 13, 3359 .
AMA StyleAn T. N. Dang, Lalit Kumar, Michael Reid, Ho Nguyen. Remote Sensing Approach for Monitoring Coastal Wetland in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam: Change Trends and Their Driving Forces. Remote Sensing. 2021; 13 (17):3359.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAn T. N. Dang; Lalit Kumar; Michael Reid; Ho Nguyen. 2021. "Remote Sensing Approach for Monitoring Coastal Wetland in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam: Change Trends and Their Driving Forces." Remote Sensing 13, no. 17: 3359.
Prosopis juliflora (Swartz) DC has become one of the world's 100 most dominant invasive species. It is spreading quickly in different parts of the country leading to growing public concern. Effective management of invasive plants requires information regarding their spatial distributions and identifying areas vulnerable to Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS). This study combines Worldclim bioclimatic data with Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and Indian biodiversity portal mediated occurrence points to model climatic suitability for P. juliflora in India under current and future climatic conditions using MaxEnt. For evaluating the importance of the environmental variables for predictive modeling, the Jack-knife test was performed. MaxEnt model was highly accurate with a statistically significant AUC value of 0.92. We observed that a larger extent of the Indian landscape currently invaded will remain suitable for P. juliflora growth and patterns of range expansion will take place soon unless management measures are initiated. Some states of North, North-western, and Southern India are projected to have higher climatic suitability for P. juliflora in the future. The findings of this study could be used as an early warning tool for the environmental monitoring of the areas which are highly vulnerable to the invasion of the species.
Monika Singh; Rajasekaran Arunachalam; Lalit Kumar. Modeling potential hotspots of invasive Prosopis juliflora (Swartz) DC in India. Ecological Informatics 2021, 64, 101386 .
AMA StyleMonika Singh, Rajasekaran Arunachalam, Lalit Kumar. Modeling potential hotspots of invasive Prosopis juliflora (Swartz) DC in India. Ecological Informatics. 2021; 64 ():101386.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMonika Singh; Rajasekaran Arunachalam; Lalit Kumar. 2021. "Modeling potential hotspots of invasive Prosopis juliflora (Swartz) DC in India." Ecological Informatics 64, no. : 101386.
Agricultural activities are shaped by climate cycles, and net negative effects of climate change on crop production are evident from scientific researches. This data-driven analytical study aims to assess the fraction of yield trends and variabilities of six major crops (aus, aman, and boro rice, wheat, potato, and jute) attributable to climatic trends and variabilities in coastal and non-coastal areas of Bangladesh. Mixed effects model was used to detect the effects of temperature and precipitation on the crop production and piecewise regression models to estimate the association between climate and yield variabilities. The predicted yields using the detrended temperature and/or precipitation series were subtracted from the predicted yields using their observed series to obtain the yield impact of temperature and/or precipitation trends. During the major disasters (1970–2017), the coast and non-coast, respectively, had lost 12.10 and 9.56% of their crop production. Climatic records (1970–2017) show that the coastal areas had become 0.35 °C warmer and 579 mm wetter, respectively, with 0.15 and 8.57% greater variance than the mainland. Consequently, negative impacts of climatic trends and variabilities on yield trends and variabilities were found to be higher in the coastal region. On average, 2.75 and 2.91% of the crop yields were lost, respectively, due to climatic trends and variabilities, which is equivalent to 2.4 million tons per year (Mt/yr). Excluding the effects of locations and crop types, temperature and precipitation can explain 12% (≡3.06 Mt./yr) of the crop production variance. Findings suggest that coastal crop production is more susceptible to climate change than the inland. Useful insights provided by this research would help policymakers to develop strategies to make future crop production more stable. Researchers and academicians can also benefit from the generated data and methodological approaches to analyse regional and global scale climatic roles in crop production.
Kamrul Hasan; Lalit Kumar. Yield trends and variabilities explained by climatic change in coastal and non-coastal areas of Bangladesh. Science of The Total Environment 2021, 795, 148814 .
AMA StyleKamrul Hasan, Lalit Kumar. Yield trends and variabilities explained by climatic change in coastal and non-coastal areas of Bangladesh. Science of The Total Environment. 2021; 795 ():148814.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKamrul Hasan; Lalit Kumar. 2021. "Yield trends and variabilities explained by climatic change in coastal and non-coastal areas of Bangladesh." Science of The Total Environment 795, no. : 148814.
Champika S. Kariyawasam; Lalit Kumar; Sujith S. Ratnayake. Correction to: Potential distribution of aquatic invasive alien plants, Eichhornia crassipes and Salvinia molesta under climate change in Sri Lanka. Wetlands Ecology and Management 2021, 1 -1.
AMA StyleChampika S. Kariyawasam, Lalit Kumar, Sujith S. Ratnayake. Correction to: Potential distribution of aquatic invasive alien plants, Eichhornia crassipes and Salvinia molesta under climate change in Sri Lanka. Wetlands Ecology and Management. 2021; ():1-1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChampika S. Kariyawasam; Lalit Kumar; Sujith S. Ratnayake. 2021. "Correction to: Potential distribution of aquatic invasive alien plants, Eichhornia crassipes and Salvinia molesta under climate change in Sri Lanka." Wetlands Ecology and Management , no. : 1-1.
Ngawang Chhogyel; Lalit Kumar; Yadunath Bajgai. Correction to: Invasion status and impacts of parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus) in West-Central region of Bhutan. Biological Invasions 2021, 23, 2781 -2781.
AMA StyleNgawang Chhogyel, Lalit Kumar, Yadunath Bajgai. Correction to: Invasion status and impacts of parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus) in West-Central region of Bhutan. Biological Invasions. 2021; 23 (9):2781-2781.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNgawang Chhogyel; Lalit Kumar; Yadunath Bajgai. 2021. "Correction to: Invasion status and impacts of parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus) in West-Central region of Bhutan." Biological Invasions 23, no. 9: 2781-2781.
Climate and environmental change are critical factors affecting water resources, irrigation and farming systems in Ethiopia as most of the population and the country’s economy depend on agriculture. The aim of this study was to investigate farmers’ perceptions of climate and environmental change and impacts of those changes on their farming systems, water resources, and irrigation. The study used a semi-structured questionnaire to interview a total of 201 rural households from nine different villages in Awash River Basin (ARB), Ethiopia. The data collected was analysed by descriptive statistics, quantitative data analysis and multinominal logistic regression using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) software. About 80, 97 and 98% of the respondents perceived the occurrence of climate variability in the Upper, Middle and Lower ARBs, respectively. Between 68 and 80% of the respondents noted that they had observed variable rainfall (either an increase or a decrease) during different seasons of the year. More than 70% of the respondents also confirmed that there was temperature change in their areas. The high awareness of climate change and environmental variability by farmers in the ARB may help decision and policymakers in establishing participatory climate adaptation and mitigation strategies.
Mahtsente T. Tadese; Lalit Kumar; Richard Koech; Benjamin K. Kogo. Perception of the impacts of climate and environmental variability on water availability, irrigation and farming systems: a study in rural households of Awash River Basin, Ethiopia. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 2021, 1 -16.
AMA StyleMahtsente T. Tadese, Lalit Kumar, Richard Koech, Benjamin K. Kogo. Perception of the impacts of climate and environmental variability on water availability, irrigation and farming systems: a study in rural households of Awash River Basin, Ethiopia. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability. 2021; ():1-16.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMahtsente T. Tadese; Lalit Kumar; Richard Koech; Benjamin K. Kogo. 2021. "Perception of the impacts of climate and environmental variability on water availability, irrigation and farming systems: a study in rural households of Awash River Basin, Ethiopia." International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability , no. : 1-16.
Invasive alien plant species (IAPS) have had a significant impact on agriculture in many countries in the world. Climatic suitability maps can be used to assess the vulnerability of agricultural areas for potential plant invasions. We used climatic suitability heat maps of IAPS to examine how potential climatic suitability for multiple IAPS invasion changes in eight agricultural land-use types in Sri Lanka under climate change scenarios for 2050. The findings of the study revealed that all evaluated agricultural land-use types are potentially vulnerable to invasion by different numbers of IAPS. In the majority of land-use types, the climatic suitability for multiple IAPS was predicted to increase under climate change scenarios. Out of all land-use types, coconut grown areas are expected to have the greatest suitability increase for more than three IAPS. Nearly all paddy lands were predicted to become suitable for two serious aquatic invaders (Eichhornia crassipes and Salvinia molesta) under current climatic conditions. However, a noticeable reduction in climatic suitability for IAPS was predicted in paddy lands by 2050. The study provides useful information that can be used by policy-makers to develop effective control and management strategies against the establishment of IAPS in agricultural land-uses in Sri Lanka.
Champika S. Kariyawasam; Lalit Kumar; Sujith S. Ratnayake. Potential risks of invasive alien plant species on agriculture under climate change scenarios in Sri Lanka. Current Research in Environmental Sustainability 2021, 3, 100051 .
AMA StyleChampika S. Kariyawasam, Lalit Kumar, Sujith S. Ratnayake. Potential risks of invasive alien plant species on agriculture under climate change scenarios in Sri Lanka. Current Research in Environmental Sustainability. 2021; 3 ():100051.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChampika S. Kariyawasam; Lalit Kumar; Sujith S. Ratnayake. 2021. "Potential risks of invasive alien plant species on agriculture under climate change scenarios in Sri Lanka." Current Research in Environmental Sustainability 3, no. : 100051.
Eichhornia crassipes and Salvinia molesta are two of the world’s worst aquatic invasive alien plant Species (AIAPS) that have a major impact on the environment, agricultural production and food security. The aim of this study was to understand the current and potential distribution of E. crassipes and S. molesta under climate change in the tropical island of Sri Lanka. The MaxEnt species distribution modelling technique was used to generate predictive models using global distribution data and environmental variables. For future projections, the mean of two best performing climate models was used under two emissions scenarios, Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 for time periods 2050 and 2070. The study revealed that at present, the majority of the aquatic habitats of the country, particularly lowland areas, are vulnerable to the invasion of these two species; however, a striking difference was observed under future RCP scenarios. Aquatic habitats suitable for E. crassipes is predicted to decrease substantially by 2050 and increase again until 2070. The suitable habitats of S. molesta are likely to decrease sharply until 2070. This study provides insights for decision-makers that climate change influences should be considered for long-term management of AIAPS.
Champika S. Kariyawasam; Lalit Kumar; Sujith S. Ratnayake. Potential distribution of aquatic invasive alien plants, Eichhornia crassipes and Salvinia molesta under climate change in Sri Lanka. Wetlands Ecology and Management 2021, 1 -15.
AMA StyleChampika S. Kariyawasam, Lalit Kumar, Sujith S. Ratnayake. Potential distribution of aquatic invasive alien plants, Eichhornia crassipes and Salvinia molesta under climate change in Sri Lanka. Wetlands Ecology and Management. 2021; ():1-15.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChampika S. Kariyawasam; Lalit Kumar; Sujith S. Ratnayake. 2021. "Potential distribution of aquatic invasive alien plants, Eichhornia crassipes and Salvinia molesta under climate change in Sri Lanka." Wetlands Ecology and Management , no. : 1-15.
Parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) is an invasive alien plant species that is spreading rapidly all over the world. With globalization and climate change, it will continue to spread, posing threats to agriculture, biodiversity and the environment. To determine its invasion and impacts in Bhutan, an investigation was undertaken in West-Central Bhutan using a questionnaire survey, complemented by MaxEnt modelling. Most farmers (19–30%) recall having seen parthenium for the last 11–15 years, or more. Infestations of parthenium differed significantly (P < 0.05) across three districts for dryland, orchards, fallow land and pastures, but not in rice fields and on roadsides. The most intensely invaded land types were fallow land, pastures, and roadsides, with farmers perceiving it as ‘somewhat common’(score ~ 3) and ‘common’ (score ~ 4) weed. Farmers’ perceptions of the invasiveness of parthenium weed were high at 77% (Wangdue), 80% (Punakha), and 88% (Tsirang), considering it as at least ‘somewhat invasive’, or higher. Only 13–25% of respondents scored the weed as ‘highly invasive’. Parthenium invasion significantly (P < 0.01 to 0.001) escalated the cost of production, reduced fodder quality, supressed native species and caused allergies to the locals in the study districts. Further, MaxEnt modelling of parthenium distribution was undertaken, using the parthenium presence-only data and bioclimatic variables, under 2 CO2 emission scenarios of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), i.e. Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP2.6 and 8.5). The projections showed discernible spatial changes in climate suitability over 2070, mostly in the mid- and high-altitude zones, indicating aggressive incursion into Bhutan’s important agro-ecological landscapes. The findings, highlight the urgent need to initiate parthenium management strategies for food production and natural resources.
Ngawang Chhogyel; Lalit Kumar; Yadunath Bajgai. Invasion status and impacts of parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus) in West-Central region of Bhutan. Biological Invasions 2021, 1 -17.
AMA StyleNgawang Chhogyel, Lalit Kumar, Yadunath Bajgai. Invasion status and impacts of parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus) in West-Central region of Bhutan. Biological Invasions. 2021; ():1-17.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNgawang Chhogyel; Lalit Kumar; Yadunath Bajgai. 2021. "Invasion status and impacts of parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus) in West-Central region of Bhutan." Biological Invasions , no. : 1-17.
There have been few studies investigating the implications of the potential distribution of plant invasions on native biodiversity due to climate change. In this study, we used combined climatic suitability maps of 14 priority Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS) in Sri Lanka under the current climate and under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP 8.5 climate scenarios for 2050 to examine the potential risks of plant invasions on native plant biodiversity. We used three types of layers defining plant biodiversity patterns for Sri Lanka; (i) nine zones of plant endemism (zones of high floristic richness and endemicity), (ii) eleven threatened endemic taxa and (iii) eight forest-related ecosystems. Our results reveal that the biodiversity-rich zones of endemism are at potentially high-risk under climate change. The potential risks on threatened endemic plants are likely to reduce slightly under an RCP 4.5 low-emissions scenario and be intensified under an RCP 8.5 high-emissions scenario. Forest-related ecosystems are vulnerable to IAPS to varying degrees; dry zone ecosystems are predicted to increase the risks of IAPS, while those in the wet zone are envisioned to decrease. Overall, our findings suggest that the potential risks of plant invasions on native plant biodiversity differ significantly under projected climate change. Greater understanding of the potential risks of IAPS at an early stage is important in prioritising future conservation measures for effective protection of native biodiversity.
Champika S. Kariyawasam; Lalit Kumar; Sujith S. Ratnayake; D. S. A. Wijesundara. Potential risks of Invasive Alien Plant Species on native plant biodiversity in Sri Lanka due to climate change. Biodiversity 2021, 1 -11.
AMA StyleChampika S. Kariyawasam, Lalit Kumar, Sujith S. Ratnayake, D. S. A. Wijesundara. Potential risks of Invasive Alien Plant Species on native plant biodiversity in Sri Lanka due to climate change. Biodiversity. 2021; ():1-11.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChampika S. Kariyawasam; Lalit Kumar; Sujith S. Ratnayake; D. S. A. Wijesundara. 2021. "Potential risks of Invasive Alien Plant Species on native plant biodiversity in Sri Lanka due to climate change." Biodiversity , no. : 1-11.
Even though climate change is having an increasing impact on tea plants, systematic reviews on the impact of climate change on the tea system are scarce. This review was undertaken to assess and synthesize the knowledge around the impacts of current and future climate on yield, quality, and climate suitability for tea; the historical roots and the most influential papers on the aforementioned topics; and the key adaptation and mitigation strategies that are practiced in tea fields. Our findings show that a large number of studies have focused on the impact of climate change on tea quality, followed by tea yield, while a smaller number of studies have concentrated on climate suitability. Three pronounced reference peaks found in Reference Publication Year Spectroscopy (RYPS) represent the most significant papers associated with the yield, quality, and climate suitability for tea. Tea yield increases with elevated CO2 levels, but this increment could be substantially affected by an increasing temperature. Other climatic factors are uneven rainfall, extreme weather events, and climate-driven abiotic stressors. An altered climate presents both advantages and disadvantages for tea quality due to the uncertainty of the concentrations of biochemicals in tea leaves. Climate change creates losses, gains, and shifts of climate suitability for tea habitats. Further studies are required in order to fill the knowledge gaps identified through the present review, such as an investigation of the interaction between the tea plant and multiple environmental factors that mimic real-world conditions and then studies on its impact on the tea system, as well as the design of ensemble modeling approaches to predict climate suitability for tea. Finally, we outline multifaceted and evidence-based adaptive and mitigation strategies that can be implemented in tea fields to alleviate the undesirable impacts of climate change.
Sadeeka Jayasinghe; Lalit Kumar. Potential Impact of the Current and Future Climate on the Yield, Quality, and Climate Suitability for Tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze]: A Systematic Review. Agronomy 2021, 11, 619 .
AMA StyleSadeeka Jayasinghe, Lalit Kumar. Potential Impact of the Current and Future Climate on the Yield, Quality, and Climate Suitability for Tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze]: A Systematic Review. Agronomy. 2021; 11 (4):619.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSadeeka Jayasinghe; Lalit Kumar. 2021. "Potential Impact of the Current and Future Climate on the Yield, Quality, and Climate Suitability for Tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze]: A Systematic Review." Agronomy 11, no. 4: 619.
Soil salinity is a serious threat to coastal agriculture and has resulted in a significant reduction in agricultural output in many regions. Jaffna Peninsula, a semi-arid region located in the northern-most part of Sri Lanka, is also a victim of the adverse effects of coastal salinity. This study investigated long-term soil salinity changes and their link with agricultural land use changes, especially paddy land. Two Landsat images from 1988 and 2019 were used to map soil salinity distribution and changes. Another set of images was analyzed at four temporal periods to map abandoned paddy lands. A comparison of changes in soil salinity with abandoned paddy lands showed that abandoned paddy lands had significantly higher salinity than active paddy lands, confirming that increasing salts owing to the high levels of sea water intrusion in the soils, as well as higher water salinity in wells used for irrigation, could be the major drivers of degradation of paddy lands. The results also showed that there was a dramatic increase in soil salinity (1.4-fold) in the coastal lowlands of Jaffna Peninsula. 64.6% of the salinity-affected land was identified as being in the extreme saline category. In addition to reducing net arable lands, soil salinization has serious implications for food security and the livelihoods of farmers, potentially impacting the regional and national economy.
Tharani Gopalakrishnan; Lalit Kumar. Linking Long-Term Changes in Soil Salinity to Paddy Land Abandonment in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka. Agriculture 2021, 11, 211 .
AMA StyleTharani Gopalakrishnan, Lalit Kumar. Linking Long-Term Changes in Soil Salinity to Paddy Land Abandonment in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka. Agriculture. 2021; 11 (3):211.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTharani Gopalakrishnan; Lalit Kumar. 2021. "Linking Long-Term Changes in Soil Salinity to Paddy Land Abandonment in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka." Agriculture 11, no. 3: 211.
Climate variability can influence the dynamics of aquatic invasive alien plants (AIAPs) that exert tremendous pressure on aquatic systems, leading to loss of biodiversity, agricultural wealth, and ecosystem services. However, the magnitude of these impacts remains poorly known. The current study aims to analyse the long-term changes in the spatio-temporal distribution of AIAPs under the influence of climate variability in a heavily infested tank cascade system (TCS) in Sri Lanka. The changes in coverage of various features in the TCS were analysed using the supervised maximum likelihood classification of ten Landsat images over a 27-year period, from 1992 to 2019 using ENVI remote sensing software. The non-parametric Mann–Kendall trend test and Sen’s slope estimate were used to analyse the trend of annual rainfall and temperature. We observed a positive trend of temperature that was statistically significant (p value < 0.05) and a positive trend of rainfall that was not statistically significant (p values > 0.05) over the time period. Our results showed fluctuations in the distribution of AIAPs in the short term; however, the coverage of AIAPs showed an increasing trend in the study area over the longer term. Thus, this study suggests that the AIAPs are likely to increase under climate variability in the study area.
Champika Kariyawasam; Lalit Kumar; Benjamin Kogo; Sujith Ratnayake. Long-Term Changes of Aquatic Invasive Plants and Implications for Future Distribution: A Case Study Using a Tank Cascade System in Sri Lanka. Climate 2021, 9, 31 .
AMA StyleChampika Kariyawasam, Lalit Kumar, Benjamin Kogo, Sujith Ratnayake. Long-Term Changes of Aquatic Invasive Plants and Implications for Future Distribution: A Case Study Using a Tank Cascade System in Sri Lanka. Climate. 2021; 9 (2):31.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChampika Kariyawasam; Lalit Kumar; Benjamin Kogo; Sujith Ratnayake. 2021. "Long-Term Changes of Aquatic Invasive Plants and Implications for Future Distribution: A Case Study Using a Tank Cascade System in Sri Lanka." Climate 9, no. 2: 31.
Impacts of climatic and non-climatic risks are on the rise in the major maize-growing counties of western Kenya. We conducted a questionnaire survey of sampled maize farmers in Nandi, West Pokot, Uasin Gishu and Trans Nzoia counties, achieving 210 responses. We used a stepwise regression model to evaluate the factors influencing farmers’ perceptions of farming risks. Results show that most of the sampled farmers were aware of the risks, and perceived reduced rainfall with erratic patterns to be the major climatic risk in crop production. The non-climatic factors were identified as inadequate farm size, limited extension services, land degradation and low soil fertility. The determinant factors that influence farmers’ perception of climatic and non-climatic risks affecting crop production were age, farm size, income, crop production cost, marital status, the highest level of education and farming experience. Understanding the risks faced in crop production and determinants of farmers’ perceptions can be important in the development and dissemination of sustainable agronomic strategies tailored towards improving crop production.
Benjamin Kipkemboi Kogo; Lalit Kumar; Richard Koech; Kamrul Hasan. Climatic and non-climatic risks in rainfed crop production systems: insights from maize farmers of western Kenya. Climate and Development 2021, 1 -10.
AMA StyleBenjamin Kipkemboi Kogo, Lalit Kumar, Richard Koech, Kamrul Hasan. Climatic and non-climatic risks in rainfed crop production systems: insights from maize farmers of western Kenya. Climate and Development. 2021; ():1-10.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBenjamin Kipkemboi Kogo; Lalit Kumar; Richard Koech; Kamrul Hasan. 2021. "Climatic and non-climatic risks in rainfed crop production systems: insights from maize farmers of western Kenya." Climate and Development , no. : 1-10.
This study examined the impact of land use/cover changes on soil erosion in western Kenya in the years 1995 and 2017. The study used the GIS-based Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) modelling approach and remote sensing assessment. The results showed that the average soil loss through sheet, rill and inter-rill soil erosion processes was 0.3 t/ha/y and 0.5 t/ha/y, in the years 1995 and 2017, respectively. Of the total soil loss, farms contributed more than 50%, both in 1995 and 2017 followed by grass/shrub (7.9% in 1995 and 11.9% in 2017), forest (16% in 1995 and 11.4% in 2017), and the least in built-up areas. The highest soil erosion rates were observed in farms cleared from forests (0.84 tons/ha) followed by those converted from grass/shrub areas (0.52 tons/ha). The rate of soil erosion was observed to increase with slope due to high velocity and erosivity of the runoff. Areas with high erodibility in the region are found primarily in slopes of more than 30 degrees, especially in Mt. Elgon, Chereng’anyi hills and Elgeyo escarpments. This study forms the first multi-temporal assessment to explore the extent of soil erosion and seeks to provide a useful knowledge base to support decision-makers in developing strategies to mitigate soil erosion for sustainable crop production.
Benjamin Kogo; Lalit Kumar; Richard Koech. Impact of Land Use/Cover Changes on Soil Erosion in Western Kenya. Sustainability 2020, 12, 9740 .
AMA StyleBenjamin Kogo, Lalit Kumar, Richard Koech. Impact of Land Use/Cover Changes on Soil Erosion in Western Kenya. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (22):9740.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBenjamin Kogo; Lalit Kumar; Richard Koech. 2020. "Impact of Land Use/Cover Changes on Soil Erosion in Western Kenya." Sustainability 12, no. 22: 9740.
Rice paddy fields, considered as a human-made wetland ecosystems, play important roles in food production and ecosystem conservation. Nowadays, rice cultivation in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, is under severe threat from climate changes, yet there is a shortage of documented information and research on rice production under future climate. Hence, the present study investigates the impacts of climate change on rice cultivation in the MD using an ensemble-modelling approach, implemented by biomod2 platform in R software. Rice cultivation occurrence points, eco-physiological and bioclimatic data were utilised to model habitat suitability for rice cultivation under current and future climate, RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios of the year 2050. The ensemble model obtained acceptable accuracy with scores of 0.880, 0.993 and 0.960 for KAPPA, ROC/AUC and TSS, respectively. Simulation results show that the mean loss of suitable land and mean gain of unsuitable land were 31.4% and 64.6%, respectively, for the year 2050 compared to the present. Salinity intrusion, increases in precipitation during rainy season and decreases in precipitation during dry season were key factors driving the loss of suitable habitat. The findings of this study critically support policy makers and planners in developing appropriate strategies for adaptation and mitigation in response to climate change for sustainable rice cultivation.
An Dang; Lalit Kumar; Michael Reid. Modelling the Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Rice Cultivation in Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Sustainability 2020, 12, 9608 .
AMA StyleAn Dang, Lalit Kumar, Michael Reid. Modelling the Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Rice Cultivation in Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (22):9608.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAn Dang; Lalit Kumar; Michael Reid. 2020. "Modelling the Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Rice Cultivation in Mekong Delta, Vietnam." Sustainability 12, no. 22: 9608.
Agriculture is responsive to weather and climate variability. In addition to the climatic stressors, coastal agriculture is influenced by non-climatic factors. Therefore, understanding farmers' perception of the causes of their changes in farm management plays a key role in motivating them to adopt agricultural adaptations. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in coastal farm management in Bangladesh over the last decade compared to the previous one. We explored whether the causes of those changes were climatic or non-climatic as perceived by the farmers and the factors that shaped their perceptions. We interviewed 381 farmers sampled from ten subdistricts along the coast of Bangladesh. Descriptive statistics showed that the farmers had changed on average 10 to 11 farm management practices. Though the average value was 67%, a higher number of farmers in the western coastal zone mentioned that climate change had impacts on their farm management. Adoption of rice crop-related adaptations was greater than livestock, fisheries or general agricultural practices. According to the discriminant function analysis, discriminative variables were perception of climatic impacts on farm productivity, climate change awareness, involvement with non-farm jobs, age, education, organizational affiliation, number of changed farm practices, and meteorologically consistent perception of rainfall and temperature. Lessons learned from this research are that the farmers should better understand the link between climate change and farm management practices while motivating them to implement adaptation strategies. This could be achieved by improving farmers’ climate change awareness, perceptions of changes in climatic parameters and involvement with farm-related associations.
Kamrul Hasan; Lalit Kumar. Discriminated perceptions of climatic impacts on coastal farm management practices. Journal of Environmental Management 2020, 278, 111550 .
AMA StyleKamrul Hasan, Lalit Kumar. Discriminated perceptions of climatic impacts on coastal farm management practices. Journal of Environmental Management. 2020; 278 ():111550.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKamrul Hasan; Lalit Kumar. 2020. "Discriminated perceptions of climatic impacts on coastal farm management practices." Journal of Environmental Management 278, no. : 111550.
The threat of accelerating climate change on species distribution now and in the future is a topic of increasing research interest. However, little work has been undertaken to assess how shifting climates will affect the suitability of tea cultivation. Therefore, we used MaxEnt modelling to project the impact of current and future climatic scenarios on the potential distribution of tea across the four tea-producing countries of China, India, Kenya and Sri Lanka. Projections were made for the years 2050 and 2070 with three Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) using seven bioclimatic predictors under three global circulation models (GCMs). The current and future habitat suitability for tea predicted by the models produced a high accuracy rate, with high areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) for all tested RCPs under the three GCMs for the four countries. The mean true skill statistic (TSS) values for tea in Sri Lanka, Kenya, India and China were 0.80, 0.91, 0.91, and 0.74, respectively. The kappa values (k) of the current and future models for all four countries ranged from 0.40 to 0.75, which indicates that the overall performance of the model was good. The precipitation seasonality and annual precipitation were found to be the most influential variables in Sri Lanka and India, respectively, while annual mean temperature was the most effective contributor for determining the suitability of habitat for tea in Kenya and China. An important proviso is that some existing tea-growing areas will face reduced suitability for future tea cultivation suggesting that by 2050 there will be a drastic reduction in the optimal suitability by averages of 26.2%, 14%, and 4.7% in Kenya, Sri Lanka and China, respectively. The optimal suitability will be reduced by 15.1%, 28.6% and 2.6% in Kenya, Sri Lanka and China, respectively, by 2070. India displays an advantage in projected future climates as it gains optimal suitability areas of 15% by 2050 and 25% by 2070.
Sadeeka Layomi Jayasinghe; Lalit Kumar. Climate Change May Imperil Tea Production in the Four Major Tea Producers According to Climate Prediction Models. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1536 .
AMA StyleSadeeka Layomi Jayasinghe, Lalit Kumar. Climate Change May Imperil Tea Production in the Four Major Tea Producers According to Climate Prediction Models. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (10):1536.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSadeeka Layomi Jayasinghe; Lalit Kumar. 2020. "Climate Change May Imperil Tea Production in the Four Major Tea Producers According to Climate Prediction Models." Agronomy 10, no. 10: 1536.
Soil salinity is a major threat to land productivity, water resources and agriculture in coastal areas and arid and semi-arid regions of the world. This has a significantly negative effect on the land and causes desertification. Monitoring salt accumulation in the soil is crucial for the prevention of land degradation in such environments. This study attempted to estimate and map soil salinity in Jaffna Peninsula, a semi-arid region of Sri Lanka. A Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) model was constructed using Sentinel 2A satellite imagery and field-measured soil electrical conductivity (EC) values. The results showed that satisfactory prediction of the soil salinity could be made based on the PLSR model coupled with Sentinel 2A satellite imagery (R2 = 0.69, RMSE = 0.4830). Overall, 32.8% of the land and 45% of paddy lands in Jaffna Peninsula are affected by salt. The findings of this study indicate that PLSR is suitable for the soil salinity mapping, especially in semi-arid regions like Jaffna Peninsula. The results underpin the importance of building adaptive capacity and implementing suitable preventive strategies for sustainable land and agricultural management.
Tharani Gopalakrishnan; Lalit Kumar. Modeling and Mapping of Soil Salinity and Its Impact on Paddy Lands in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka. Sustainability 2020, 12, 8317 .
AMA StyleTharani Gopalakrishnan, Lalit Kumar. Modeling and Mapping of Soil Salinity and Its Impact on Paddy Lands in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (20):8317.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTharani Gopalakrishnan; Lalit Kumar. 2020. "Modeling and Mapping of Soil Salinity and Its Impact on Paddy Lands in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka." Sustainability 12, no. 20: 8317.
Understanding the hydrological processes of a watershed in response to climate change is vital to the establishment of sustainable environmental management strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the variability of potential evapotranspiration (PET) and water availability in the Awash River Basin (ARB) under different climate change scenarios and to relate these with long-term drought occurrences in the area. The PET and water availability of the ARB was estimated during the period of 1995–2009 and two future scenarios (2050s and 2070s). The representative concentration pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) simulations showed an increase in the monthly mean PET from March to August in the 2050s, and all the months in the 2070s. The study also identified a shortage of net water availability in the majority of the months investigated and the occurrence of mild to extreme drought in about 40–50% of the analysed years at the three study locations (Holetta, Koka Dam, and Metehara). The decrease in water availability and an increase in PET, combined with population growth, will aggravate the drought occurrence and food insecurity in the ARB. Therefore, integrated watershed management systems and rehabilitation of forests, as well as water bodies, should be addressed in the ARB to mitigate climate change and water shortage in the area.
Mahtsente Tadese; Lalit Kumar; Richard Koech. Long-Term Variability in Potential Evapotranspiration, Water Availability and Drought under Climate Change Scenarios in the Awash River Basin, Ethiopia. Atmosphere 2020, 11, 883 .
AMA StyleMahtsente Tadese, Lalit Kumar, Richard Koech. Long-Term Variability in Potential Evapotranspiration, Water Availability and Drought under Climate Change Scenarios in the Awash River Basin, Ethiopia. Atmosphere. 2020; 11 (9):883.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMahtsente Tadese; Lalit Kumar; Richard Koech. 2020. "Long-Term Variability in Potential Evapotranspiration, Water Availability and Drought under Climate Change Scenarios in the Awash River Basin, Ethiopia." Atmosphere 11, no. 9: 883.