The threat farmers face from agricultural weeds is set to increase as the impact of climate change worsens, according to a new study.
Scientists from Flinders University in Australia used computer models to predict the likely impact of climate change on invasive weed propagation.
The researchers looked at climate projections for the year 2050, incorporating a variety of different scenarios, then looked at 32 invasive weed species across Europe, Australia and the United States.
Although there was a reduced risk of more invasive species growing in some areas, there was a "potential for expansion" in many agricultural zones around the world.
They found that as temperatures rise, more habitats across the globe will become suitable for invasive species to grow.
They also found existing attempts to eradicate invasive species populations are inadequate in the face of climate change.
Overall, they found warmer temperatures will lead to more ecosystems around the world being threatened by invasive weed species, harming agricultural productivity.
"Many of these invasive weeds pose a threat in suitable habitats under both current and future climate conditions," said Dr Farzin Shabani, one of the authors.
The researchers said a more "robust monitoring framework" was needed to prevent and detect the growth of agricultural weeds.
Their findings appeared in the paper 'Invasive weed species' threats to global biodiversity: Future scenarios of changes in the number of invasive species in a changing climate', published in the journal Ecological Indicators.
