What actually confers adaptive capacity? Insights from agro-climatic vulnerability of Australian wheat.

ABSTRACT: Vulnerability assessments have often invoked sustainable livelihoods theory to support the quantification of adaptive capacity based on the availability of capital--social, human, physical, natural, and financial. However, the assumption that increased availability of these capitals confers greater adaptive capacity remains largely untested. We quantified the relationship between commonly used capital indicators and an empirical index of adaptive capacity (ACI) in the context of vulnerability of Australian wheat production to climate variability and change. We calculated ACI by comparing actual yields from farm survey data to climate-driven expected yields estimated by a crop model for 12 regions in Australia's wheat-sheep zone from 1991-2010. We then compiled data for 24 typical indicator

SUBMITTER: Bryan BA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4323342 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature