ABSTRACT
Climatic change and the impact of climatic change on man have become controversial issues. In modern history, the period corresponding to the North American settlement and the establishment of the United States was a period of climatic stress, frequently called "the little ice age." For agriculture it is more instructive to look at the climatic variabilities associated with precipitation. Benign climates are also characterized by moderate temperatures without a high probability of extreme temperatures during critical times for sensitive plants. Climate variability adds an additional stress to the agriculture system and adds a component to climatic hostility. Agricultural strategies and technologies must be developed to respond to the expected climatic variabilities. For the hostile climates produced by temperature stress, shelters may be constructed to protect animals from the critical temperatures, and crop production can be scheduled to avoid the consistent occurrence of high or low temperatures.
