Shifts in Hydroclimatology of U.S. Croplands

Abstract Changes in precipitation, temperature and water availability can significantly affect crop yields and hence food security at local and national scales. Despite the significant foreseen changes in hydroclimatology of croplands across the United States over the last decades, there are still lacking consistent information on how future hydroclimatic conditions of U.S. major croplands may change in response to climate change. This study investigates and quantifies shifts in hydroclimatology of five major crops including cotton, corn, soybean, sorghum, and wheat across the conterminous United States (CONUS). The results indicate that the direction and magnitude of hydroclimatic changes are highly variable across the climate projections. However, on average, hydroclimatic changes have a higher impact on sorghum and cotton, respectively. Understanding how croplands can be affected by climate change in the future can help decision-makers and water planners for the implementation and expansion of adaptive paths such as irrigation and conservation plans. Irrigation | Agriculture | Hydrology | Climate impacts | Crop yield