Drought
A drought is a period of unusually persistent dry weather that persists long enough to cause serious problems such as crop damage and/or water supply shortages. The severity of the drought depends upon the degree of moisture deficiency, the duration, and the size of the affected area.
There are actually four different ways that drought can be defined.
- Meteorological - a measure of departure of precipitation from normal. Due to climatic differences, what might be considered a drought in one location of the country may not be a drought in another location.
- Agricultural - refers to a situation where the amount of moisture in the soil no longer meets the needs of a particular crop.
- Hydrological - occurs when surface and subsurface water supplies are below normal.
- Socioeconomic - refers to the situation that occurs when physical water shortages begin to affect people.
From the National Weather Service (NWS).
-
Irrigation Pays in Protecting Crop Revenues
Does field crop irrigation make sense as a farm strategy given the number of wet summers in the Northeast?
-
Drought and Rangelands: Effects and Management Responses
Droughts can result in reduced growth rates, defoliation, and increased stress on vegetation, with accompanying…
-
The Effects of Drought on Recreation and Wilderness
Drought conditions present challenges for managing recreation opportunities on national forests and grasslands by…
-
USDA ARS Farming Systems Project
Long-term agricultural research provides unique insights into the impact of climate and weather on agricultural…
-
Climate Risks in the Northeast
How are climate change and weather variability affecting Northeastern producers?
-
Cover Cropping to Improve Climate Resilience
Is your field covered? Managing a continuous cover of plants can help improve soil health and prevent erosion.
-
Drought Impacts in the Southwestern Region
This report contains a synopsis of the presentations and work group sessions from the Region 3 Drought Workshop, held…
-
Clovercrest Farm: A Family Dairy in Charleston, Maine
A case study investigating the impacts of climate change on Clovercrest Farm, a small-scale dairy farm owned by Steve…
-
Responding to Ecological Drought in the Intermountain Region
In March 2017, the Forest Service Intermountain Region held a drought adaptation workshop to share state-of-science…