climate change

The widespread hypothesis that climate warming will result in unprecedented agricultural pest populations and cause food insecurity worldwide is oversimplified, according to a new study by a team led by Mia Lippey, an entomologist at the University of California, Davis. But the study does indicate that pests fare better in warmer temperatures than their natural enemies, which researchers identified as a cause for concern. 

California’s $1 billion processing tomato industry is highly efficient and likely will be able to withstand higher temperatures and traffic congestion with minimal postharvest losses, according to research conducted at the University of California, Davis.

The research, published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, analyzed 1.4 million truckloads of tomatoes transported from thousands of farm fields to processing facilities between 2011 and 2020. 

As climate change increases the frequency of droughts, UCLA researchers found one overlooked side effect: people report more conflicts with wildlife during drought, when resources are scarce.

As the climate warms and nutrient inputs shift, algal communities in cool, clear mountain lakes like Lake Tahoe will likely experience seasonal changes, according to a study from the University of California, Davis.

Periphyton, that fuzzy layer of attached algae covering the rocks as you step into the water, is a healthy and critical part of a lake’s food web. Periphyton blooms, however, signal changes that can degrade both water quality and a shoreline’s natural beauty.

As climate change drives up temperatures around the clock, warmer nights may be especially dangerous for caterpillars – causing them to grow fast but die young. University of California, Davis, researchers used hand warmers, a novel approach to warm field plots, to test the effects of higher temperatures at night.

The plants in our backyards do more than add beauty – they support local insects and thrive, or struggle, depending on the climate. As temperatures shift and rainfall patterns become less predictable, the timing of when plants bloom and insects emerge is changing.

Warming weather, water scarcity and a loss of winter fog threaten pistachio production in California’s southern San Joaquin Valley, potentially disrupting one of the state’s most valuable crops.  

The University of California, Davis, is enhancing and expanding its Pistachio Breeding Program after a generous gift from philanthropist and pistachio farmer Rod Stiefvater, who is donating more than $335,000 over three years to develop new rootstocks that thrive under changing climate conditions. 

As California faces pressure to grow both food and energy while protecting biodiversity — all on a finite amount of land — a trend is emerging in the field of clean energy: multi-use solar projects, or sustainable voltaics.

Extreme weather spurred by climate change, including droughts and heavy rains, may increase the risk of nitrates from fertilizers ending up in groundwater, according to a recent study from researchers at the University of California, Davis. The study found heavy rains after a drought caused nitrates to seep 33 feet under farm fields in as little as 10 days. The study was published in Water Resources Research.