Changes in air temperature and precipitation and impact on agriculture
Abstract: Air temperature and precipitation are among the main factors for agricultural production. The aim of the present research work is to analyse changes in air temperature and precipitation in non-mountainous part of Southern Bulgaria in terms of the opportunities for the development of agriculture in the region. The trend in variability of seasonal and annual air temperature and precipitation is determined by the linear regression method. An analysis of the combination between air temperature and precipitation gives a tool to classify the climate according to dry and wet conditions of the territory. For this purpose the Gaussen-Bagnouls classification method is used in the present paper. In terms of air temperature, the investigated area is favourable for growing thermophilic plants. In order to investigate thoroughly the impact of climate change, the quantitative research has been complemented by a qualitative study – case study of farmers from the region of Stara Zagora. Case studies show that farmers are vulnerable to various degrees to the expected annual variability and average changes in yields depending on farm size, crop varieties and availability of irrigation.