PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Salvatore Di Falco
AU  - Jean-Paul Chavas
TI  - Rainfall Shocks, Resilience, and the Effects of Crop Biodiversity on Agroecosystem Productivity
AID  - 10.3368/le.84.1.83
DP  - 2008 Feb 01
TA  - Land Economics
PG  - 83--96
VI  - 84
IP  - 1
4099  - http://le.uwpress.org/content/84/1/83.short
4100  - http://le.uwpress.org/content/84/1/83.full
SO  - Land Econ2008 Feb 01; 84
AB  - This paper investigates the dynamic effects of rainfall shocks on agroecosystems productivity. The analysis estimates a panel data model of cereal production in southern Italy. It documents the adverse effects of a reduction in rainfall on the agroecosystem productivity both in the short run and the long run. It investigates how increasing the level of spatial crop diversity can mitigate this negative impact. The empirical evidence shows how higher diversity supports resilience and maintains the system productivity under challenging climatic conditions. (JEL Q24, Q54, Q57)