Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1996, Qupperneq 89

CLIMATIC CHANGES AND FAROESE AGRICULTURE
93
Tabel 1
Rainfall and Temperature-sum above 5°C.
Temperature-sum above 5°C.
Year Rainfall annual May-Sept. Jun-Aug.
1995 2864 643 478
1994 2558 633 487
1993 2709 541 361
1992 3155 649 467
1991 2825 689 474
1990 2861 714 526
1989 2694 645 474
1988 2319 771 556
1988-95 2748 661 478
Future use
With today’s advanced tools and equipment
much better registrations can be made, and
computer assisted estimates for the future
can be better utilised ( e.g. „The Green-
house Effects”).
Satellite surveys of climate and crops
provides very good data for forecasts.
In a Finnish research programme on cli-
matic changes (SILMU) the estimated C02
and temperature increase over the next 100
years will increase the area suitable for
wheat production more than 10 times.
Should the mentioned Finnish estimate
be reality, the Faroese agriculture will also
change drastically with much higher pro-
duction potitentiale.
If more precise data on production had
been available (e.g. grass and meat produc-
tion) models to forecast production from
climatic data could be developed.
Conclusion
Climatic records for the Faroe Islands in
the past have shown big variations in rain-
fall for various locations, but only small
differences in temperature.
For Royndarstøðin, Kollafjørður the col-
lected data since 1988 show rather wide
variations in potential agricultural growth
and production from year to year.
The main limiting growth factor is low
temperature.
The collected data is useful for evalua-
ting of crop yields and to estimate produc-
tion.
In the future more extensive use should
be made of climatic records.