United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service		 South Dakota Go to Accessibility Information
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Ecological Climatology

The NRCS Ecological Climatology program focuses on the influence of the earth's atmosphere on agricultural production. At the national level, the emphasis is on policy development and coordination, as well as communication. Other NRCS entities, such as the Water and Climate Center in Portland, Oregon, concentrate on research and data collection.

This web page serves to provide information to the public and other government agencies regarding the NRCS climatology program. Here the user will find links to NRCS documents and other resources related to climatology, especially those concerned with air quality and climate change, two areas of particular interest to the agency.

Documents

NRCS Air Resource Action Plan
NRCS strategic plan to incorporate air resource considerations in ecosystem-based assistance for management of natural resources.

Agriculture and Climate Change
NRCS/RCA Issue Brief describing the impacts of agriculture on global climate change.

Links

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
  • Joint Agricultural Weather Facility (JAWF)
    Jointly operated by USDA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), JAWF tracks weather in the principal agricultural regions of the world.
  • NRCS Air Quality Home Page
    This is the home page of NRCS air quality cooperating scientists, who work to include air quality concerns in NRCS programs and operations. The site contains contact information for the scientists, training modules for NRCS employees on air quality, and more.
  • Task Force on Agricultural Air Quality
    Authorized in the 1996 Farm Bill, the Task Force advises the Secretary of Agriculture on issues relating to research in agricultural air quality. Web site contains legislation creating the Task Force, its charter, press releases, Federal Register notices, letters and other official documents.
  • Water and Climate Center
    Excellent resource for obtaining information about mountain snowpack in the western United States via the NRCS SNOTEL network. Useful site for obtaining climate and hydrological information from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and National Weather Service, including water supply forecasts for the western United States.
Air Quality Resources Outside USDA
  • AIRSWeb
    Provides access to air pollution data for the entire United States, courtesy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Includes sources, monitors, maps, contacts, and other information.
  • Internet Resources for Air Quality and Related Information
    Maintained by the United States' National Park Service, this site contains numerous links to federal and state government agencies involved with air quality. Additional links to climatological and meteorological information sources are also provided.
  • Western States Air Resources Council (WESTAR)
    Representing 15 western states, WESTAR was formed to promote information exchange between the States; to serve as a forum to discuss western regional air quality issues of common concern and to share resources for the common benefit of the member states.
Global Climate Change
  • EPA Global Warming Site
    Maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In addition to providing information on the subject, this site also offers subscriptions to several mailing lists related to climate change.
  • Global Warming Resources on the Web
    Links to selected Web sites concerned with global climate change. Posted by the Union of Concerned Scientists.
  • United States Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)
    Multiagency research program for defining global change and providing opportunities to study important scientific issues and policy choices concerning the Earth's changing environment.
  • What is Global Warming?
    This Web site maintained by the Union of Concerned Scientists attempts to portray an overview of the field of global warming as it is seen by the majority of the world's climatologists today.

Questions and comments are welcome and encouraged. Please address all correspondence to Ronald Nadwornick, State Resource Conservationist, 605-352-1234.

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