Rain, agriculture, and tariffs

Soil loss and runoff generation in rangeland, rain-fed and abandoned rain-fed agriculture land-uses under simulated rainfall

Soil erosion is a global challenge, seriously threatening soil and water resources andenvironmental qualities. One of the important factors to consider in the process of runoffgeneration and soil erosion is the physical and chemical properties of soils under differentland-uses. The aim of this study is to estimate soil erosion and runoff in rangeland, rain-fedand abandoned rain-fed agriculture ...

Embodied Carbon Tariffs

Embodied carbon tariffs tax the direct and indirect carbon emissions embodied in trade — an idea popularized by countries seeking to extend the reach of domestic carbon regulations. We investigate their effectiveness using simulations from an applied general equilibrium model of global trade and energy use. We find that the tariffs do reduce foreign emissions, but their ability to improve the g...

Limitations to Crop Diversification for Enhancing the Resilience of Rain-fed Subsistence Agriculture to Drought

Diversification of agricultural systems is a standard suggestion for increasing the resilience of rain-fed subsistence farming to drought. However, grain crops share many physiological characteristics, potentially forming a plant functional type (PFT), a term ecologists apply to groups of species that respond in functionally similar ways to environmental variation. Here we test whether grain cr...

Best Practice Tariffs

Rain-fed agriculture thrived despite climate degradation in the pre-Hispanic arid Andes

Archaeological research suggests significant human occupation in the arid Andean highlands during the 13th to 15th centuries, whereas paleoclimatic studies reveal prolonged drier and colder conditions during that period. Which subsistence strategy supported local societies in this harsh environment? Our field and aerial surveys of archaeological dwelling sites, granaries, and croplands provide ...