EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

Green Fields Vista

Agricultural Landscape
The Netherlands

Explanation:  These are the grand, green vistas of eastern Netherlands of west Europe.  Over a quarter of the country is in agriculture and seasonal or permanent crop production, with grasslands accounting for over half of that.  

Water is not a problem here!  Look at the labyrinth of canals, channels, and waterways evident in these vistas.  Such regions as this are so water-rich that they crow mostly grass for the dairy industry, with fewer lands producing food crops or horticultural products for export.  

With over a quarter of the country below sea level, many waterways constrain flooding by a series of locks, dykes, and dams.  What will happen when the sea level rises under climate change?  The lowest city in the country is already 23 feet (7 m) below sea level!  There may be mass flooding and emigration, and surely much of the croplands and pasturelands, as seen in these photos, will vanish below the waterline or be adversely affected by increased salt content.