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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment » Soil, Water & Air Resources Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #350806
Title: The potential global distribution of the superweed, Palmer amaranth, under current and future climates

Author
item Kistner-Thomas, Erica
item Hatfield, Jerry

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/20/2018
Publication Date: 5/28/2018
Citation: Kistner-Thomas, E.J., Hatfield, J.L. 2018. The potential global distribution of the superweed, Palmer amaranth, under current and future climates. In: Preceedings of Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, August 5-10, 2018, New Orleans, Lousiana. Available: https://eco.confex.com/eco/2018/meetingapp.cgi/paper/72111.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Herbicide resistant weeds are increasingly becoming a major challenge for agricultural production worldwide. Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) is an invasive annual forb that has recently emerged as one of the most widespread and severe agronomic weeds in the US, due in part to its facility for evolving herbicide resistance. Originally from the arid Southwestern US, this highly adaptive weed has spread across the country due to human-assisted dispersal of its seeds. It has also invaded portions of Africa, Europe, and South America. The distribution and growing season of a weed species like Palmer amaranth will undoubtedly change as a consequence of climate change, adding additional challenges to managing this species. In this study, we developed a process-oriented bioclimatic niche model of Palmer amaranth using CLIMEX, to examine its potential global distribution under both current climatic conditions and possible future climate under the RCP 8.5 emission scenario for the year 2050.