| Titre : | Agricultural vulnerability over the Chinese Loess Plateau in response to climate change: Exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity |
| Auteurs : | Xueling Li, Auteur ; Joshua Philp, Auteur ; Roger Cremades, Auteur ; Anna Roberts, Auteur ; Liang He, Auteur ; Longhui Li, Auteur ; Qiang Yu, Auteur |
| Type de document : | Article |
| Dans : | AMBIO (45(3) APR 2016) |
| Article en page(s) : | 350-360 |
| Langues: | Anglais |
| Résumé : | Understanding how the vulnerability of agricultural production to climate change can differ spatially has practical significance to sustainable management of agricultural systems worldwide. Accordingly, this study developed a conceptual framework to assess the agricultural vulnerability of 243 rural counties on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Indicators representing the climate/agriculture interface were selected to describe exposure and sensitivity, while stocks of certain capitals were used to describe adaptive capacity. A vulnerability index for each county was calculated and the spatial distribution was mapped. Results showed that exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity occur independently, with most contributing indicator values concentrated in a narrow range after normalization. Within the 49 most vulnerable counties, which together encompass 81 % of the vulnerability index range, 42 were characterized by high exposure and sensitivity but low adaptive capacity. The most vulnerable area was found to be located in the central northeast-southwest belt of Loess Plateau. Adaptation measures for both ecological restoration and economic development are needed and potential adaptation options need further investigation. |



