Effects of weather and climate on fluctuations of grain prices
in southwestern Bohemia, 1725-1824 CE

J 2024

Effects of weather and climate on fluctuations of grain prices in southwestern Bohemia, 1725-1824 CE

BRÁZDIL, Rudolf, Jan LHOTÁK, Kateřina CHROMÁ and Petr DOBROVOLNÝ

Basic information

Original name

Effects of weather and climate on fluctuations of grain prices in southwestern Bohemia, 1725-1824 CE

Authors

BRÁZDIL, Rudolf (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Jan LHOTÁK, Kateřina CHROMÁ and Petr DOBROVOLNÝ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Climate of the Past, Copernicus Publications, 2024, 1814-9324

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10500 1.5. Earth and related environmental sciences

Country of publisher

Germany

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 4.300 in 2022

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1017-2024

UT WoS

001209194900001

Keywords in English

grain prices; grain harvest; documentary data; temperature; precipitation; drought; weather extremes; southwestern Bohemia

Abstract

V originále

Grain prices in early modern Europe reflected the effects of weather and climate on crop yields and a complex array of societal and socio-economic factors. This study presents a newly developed series of grain prices for Sušice (southwestern Bohemia, Czech Republic) for the period 1725–1824 CE, based on various archival sources. It aims to analyse their relationships with weather and climate, represented by temperature, precipitation, and drought (self-calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index, scPDSI) reconstructions, as well as particular weather extremes and anomalies reported in documentary evidence. Wheat, rye, barley, and oats series in Sušice showed high mutual correlations. The mean highest prices during the year typically occurred from May to July before the harvest, while prices usually declined afterwards. Wheat, rye, and barley prices were significantly negatively correlated with spring temperatures and positively correlated with scPDSI from winter to summer. This indicates that wetter winters, cooler and wetter springs, and wetter summers contributed to higher prices. The extremely high grain prices in the years 1746, 1771–1772, 1802–1806, and 1816–1817 were separately analysed with respect to weather and climate patterns and other socio-economic and political factors. The results obtained were discussed in relation to data uncertainty, factors influencing grain prices, and the broader European context.

Citovat

BRÁZDIL, Rudolf, Jan LHOTÁK, Kateřina CHROMÁ and Petr DOBROVOLNÝ. Effects of weather and climate on fluctuations of grain prices in southwestern Bohemia, 1725-1824 CE. Climate of the Past. Copernicus Publications, 2024, vol. 20, No 4, p. 1017-1037. ISSN 1814-9324. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1017-2024.

@article{2400317,
   author = {Brázdil, Rudolf and Lhoták, Jan and Chromá, Kateřina and Dobrovolný, Petr},
   article_number = {4},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1017-2024},
   keywords = {grain prices; grain harvest; documentary data; temperature; precipitation; drought; weather extremes; southwestern Bohemia},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {1814-9324},
   journal = {Climate of the Past},
   title = {Effects of weather and climate on fluctuations of grain prices in southwestern Bohemia, 1725-1824 CE},
   url = {https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/20/1017/2024/},
   volume = {20},
   year = {2024}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 2400317
AU  - Brázdil, Rudolf - Lhoták, Jan - Chromá, Kateřina - Dobrovolný, Petr
PY  - 2024
TI  - Effects of weather and climate on fluctuations of grain prices in southwestern Bohemia, 1725-1824 CE
JF  - Climate of the Past
VL  - 20
IS  - 4
SP  - 1017-1037
EP  - 1017-1037
PB  - Copernicus Publications
SN  - 18149324
KW  - grain prices
KW  - grain harvest
KW  - documentary data
KW  - temperature
KW  - precipitation
KW  - drought
KW  - weather extremes
KW  - southwestern Bohemia
UR  - https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/20/1017/2024/
N2  - Grain prices in early modern Europe reflected the effects of weather and climate on crop yields and a complex array of societal and socio-economic factors. This study presents a newly developed series of grain prices for Sušice (southwestern Bohemia, Czech Republic) for the period 1725–1824 CE, based on various archival sources. It aims to analyse their relationships with weather and climate, represented by temperature, precipitation, and drought (self-calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index, scPDSI) reconstructions, as well as particular weather extremes and anomalies reported in documentary evidence. Wheat, rye, barley, and oats series in Sušice showed high mutual correlations. The mean highest prices during the year typically occurred from May to July before the harvest, while prices usually declined afterwards. Wheat, rye, and barley prices were significantly negatively correlated with spring temperatures and positively correlated with scPDSI from winter to summer. This indicates that wetter winters, cooler and wetter springs, and wetter summers contributed to higher prices. The extremely high grain prices in the years 1746, 1771–1772, 1802–1806, and 1816–1817 were separately analysed with respect to weather and climate patterns and other socio-economic and political factors. The results obtained were discussed in relation to data uncertainty, factors influencing grain prices, and the broader European context.
ER  -

BRÁZDIL, Rudolf, Jan LHOTÁK, Kateřina CHROMÁ and Petr DOBROVOLNÝ. Effects of weather and climate on fluctuations of grain prices in southwestern Bohemia, 1725-1824 CE. \textit{Climate of the Past}. Copernicus Publications, 2024, vol.~20, No~4, p.~1017-1037. ISSN~1814-9324. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1017-2024.

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