Response of the North American corn belt to climatic warming

Conference · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:6299829

Blasing, T J; Solomon, A M

The climate of the North American corn belt was characterized as part of an effort to estimate the effects of climatic change on that agricultural region. Heat and moisture characteristics of the current corn belt were first identified. Locations of those characteristics were then mapped, based on a climate simulated to result from doubling the amount of atmospheric CO/sub 2/. Such projections of corn-belt location were made both with and without allowance for earlier planting dates under a warmer climate. Because the direct effects of CO/sub 2/ on plants, improvements in farm technology, and plant breeding are not considered, the resulting projections represent an extreme or worst case. Results indicate that even for such a worst case, climatic conditions favoring corn production would not extend very far into Canada. Greatest translocations are projected for the western, or driest, part of the corn belt where other crops such as winter wheat could replace corn. However, this kind of exercise clearly shows that the use of climate-model output requires several highly questionable assumptions about changes in the timing and regional distribution of precipitation accompanying a climatic warming. Increased use of climatic data and improved specification of CO/sub 2/-induced increases in water-use efficiency of corn are suggested for more credible projections of corn-belt responses to increasing CO/sub 2/.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 6299829
• Report Number(s): CONF-830341-1; ON: DE83009830
• Resource Relation: Conference: Conference on interactions between climate and biosphere, Osnabruck, F.R. Germany, 21 Mar 1983
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CARBON DIOXIDE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
CLIMATES
CROPS
MAIZE
NORTH AMERICA
VARIATIONS
WATER
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CEREALS
CHALCOGENIDES
GRAMINEAE
GRASS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
560303* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Plants- (-1987)
500100 - Environment
Atmospheric- Basic Studies- (-1989)