| There is concern that climatic change due to anthropogenic enhancement of the greenhouse effect may have considerable impacts on the natural and agricultural environments in Canada. The Palliser Triangle, encompassing southeastern Alberta, southern Saskatchenan, and southwestern Manitoba, is an area in which the impacts of climatic change could be significant; it is an important agricultural area, and is already sensitive due to its semiarid climate. This thesis examines possible effects of a change in the climate of the Medicine Hat area, in the Palliser Triangle, to a climate characteristic of a warmer, more southerly area, through the use of a regional analogue. The selected analogue region is the area around Billings, Montana. Aspects of the natural environment, including potential vegetation distribution, frost free period, and drought, as well as aspects of the agricultural environment, including agriculture practices and examination of wheat yields, are studied within each region. Comparisons are drawn between the two regions, to evaluate whether or not significant differences exist in the environmental aspects examined. It is shown that although a change in Medicine Hat's climate to one more like that of Billings may not have drastic impacts on the environment, such a change may require adjustments in current practices or adaptations to altered environmental conditions. Reviews of several policy areas will be necessary to ensure appropriate adjustments in agricultural or resource management practices. Regional analogy is shown to be an essential preliminary tool for determining possible effects of climatic change. |
