As the climate changes and varies so will the agricultural production of the Northern Great Plains States. As the land resources and water resources ebb and flow in consequence to the climate it is natural to see a change in the production as well. Change will not only occur in the production of crops. Productivity of rangeland could also dwindle. With the tightly knit weave of agriculture, a drop in crop and rangeland products will then affect the productivity of livestock. In addition, a change in the climatic temperatures and the weather extremes would also place stress on livestock, further decreasing their productivity.

In order to better understand the effects of climate change and variability on the agricultural sector it becomes necessary to examine and study the possible effects on and interrelation between the production of cropland, rangeland and livestock.