Farmland makes up about 29 percent of the state's total land area. More than 80 percent of the state's cropland is irrigated. California's farms are heavily dependent on managed water. Changes in the frequency or severity of drought and flooding, a possible but uncertain consequence of climate change, could have a huge economic impact on California agriculture. The effects of climate change on California farms could go well beyond water.
Warmer weather can in some cases spur crop growth, though in other cases it can be detrimental.
Shifts in seasonal timing or local temperature ranges could make growth of some current crops unfeasible, while bringing opportunities for new crops as well. The increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may actually improve plant growth in many cases. But changes in temperature and humidity may also affect agricultural pests - possibly suppressing some, but also likely to increase others, since many insects and fungi like warmer, wetter weather. Ecology Some of California's richest treasures are in its spectacular variety of ecosystems - the salt marshes of San Francisco Bay, the tidepools along the rocky coast, the offshore waters teeming with marine life, its redwood forests and alpine meadows, and the deserts and saline lakes far inland, to name a few. Significant long-term climate change is likely to bring significant change to these ecosystems.