Grain production and climatic variation in taihu lake basin

Abstract

Before the end of the Ming Dynasty to the early of the Qing Dynasty, climate was warm, and heat energy was plentiful, so double-cropping of rice in Taihu Lake basin could grow without any protection. Later the global climate entered the Little Ice Age, the double-cropping of rice was extirpated nearly, grain output decreased heavily. After the Little Ice Age, although, the global climate got warm, sometimes, the thermal condition was enough for two crops no three crops one year throughout the period. So both the area and output of of double-cropping of rice was fluctuated with variation of cold/ warm. The condition of heat energy, with the movement of climatic zone, becomes a sensitive factor effecting grain production. Recently, as CO₂concentration in atmosphere is increasing, climate is getting warm. With the comprehensive effect of such warming and natural cooling trend, the climate in Taihu Lake basin shows the following trend: warm in winter, cooling in summer, decreasing of annual accumulated temperature and advancing of autumn low temperature. This trend will strongly influence the grain production.