Climate Change Expected to Reduce Productivity in Rangelands

This year's long winter has people thinking more about the changes in the weather and the potential impact of climate change.

Professor Cameron Carlyle with the University Of Alberta is involved in Climate Change research on grasslands.

"An increase in temperature is very likely going to reduce the overall amount of forage that is available on the landscape," Carlyle said, "but it's also going to reduce the quality of that forage too by lowering the amount of protein."

Carlyle added over the next 70 to 100 years the temperature is expected to increase 2-5 degrees, adding there will be a shift in precipitation with more precipitation coming in over the winter, rather than through the growing season resulting in more drought-like conditions.