Source: Washington Post
Recent evidence has indicated that agriculture is suffering from an increase in salt in the fields brought on by extreme weather and winds.
Rising sea levels and sinking coastlines have led to an increase in ocean salt that has precipitated and is now abundant in formerly fertile grounds in certain regions of the U.S., such as in North Carolina, where farmers have lost millions of dollars due to infertile lands saturated by salt.
A 2016 study published in the journal Science had predicted that at least 9 percent of coastlines in the U.S. would be susceptible to saltwater intrusion, as reported by Washington Post, but now scientists predict that the percentage will be much higher as extreme weather conditions continue to wash over the country.
Inundations and heavy storms have led to irreversible damage on agricultural land, and ultimately, has created a lot of problems for farmers. Though scientists have been able to identify that extreme weather conditions are creating more problems for farms across the country, there’s no telling how those negative impacts will change or increase with time.
Washington Post reports that in the meantime, farmers are just dealing with the impacts one season and year at a time.
Read Full Story: Washington Post