FOR 536:  Matter Fluxes in Grasslands of Inner Mongolia as Iinfluenced by Stocking Rate (MAGIM)

• Subject Area: Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine
• Term: from 2004 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5470836

Overgrazing is the central problem of sustainable use of steppe grassland. Due to nutrient removal and erosion, large-scale degradation of vegetation and soils follows from overgrazing. Central aim of this project is the quantification of effects of grazing intensity and grassland management on matter fluxes of a grassland ecosystem in Inner Mongolia (China).
Nine groups from four universities and two research centres in cooperation with Chinese partner institutes investigate the effect of grazing intensity on soil organic matter, nitrogen- and water balance and soil erosion. Further, the productivity of grassland with regard to biomass formation (shoot and root), fodder quality and meat production will be analysed. Potential causes (water and/or nutrients) for comparably low productivity of grassland shall be identified. Data are collected on experimental sites. By means of remote sensing techniques processes, which are relevant for carbon, nitrogen and water budgets will be analysed on a regional scale as well. Application and modification of several models will allow for the up-scaling of processes and may help decision makers to analyse the effect of grazing intensity and grassland management on sustainability of this important eco-system.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• International Connection: China

Projects

• Amount, composition, and turnover of organic matter pools in grassland soils under typical steppe vegetation types of the Xilin River Basin (Inner Mongolia) with different grazing management (Applicant Kögel-Knabner, Ingrid )
• Extrapolating water and carbon fluxes of managed grasslands in time and space based on surface and airborne observations (Applicant Bernhofer, Christian )
• Impact of grazing intensity of sheep on biomass availability, feed intake, feed quality and animal productivity in Inner Mongolian steppe (Applicant Susenbeth, Andreas )
• Impact of grazing on hydraulic, thermal and mechanical soil properties of grassland soils in the steppe ecosystem of the Xilin River Basin (Inner Mongolia) (Applicant Horn, Rainer )
• Influence of grazing pressure on the carbon isotope composition of the grasslands of China: Spatio-temporal variations at multiple scales (Applicant Auerswald, Karl )
• MAGIM project coordination, coordination of MAGIM spatial experiments and development of a Geo Information System (GIS) for the Xilin river catchment (Applicant Butterbach-Bahl, Klaus )
• Mid term effects of grazing intensity on yield formation and forage quality in grassland ecosystems in Inner Mongolia with special reference to water supply (Applicant Taube, Friedhelm )
• Nitrogen supply of grassland and its belowground productivity as influenced by stocking rate, management and availability of water (Applicant Dittert, Klaus )
• Projektkoordination, Aufbau eines Geographischen Informationssystems (GIS) unter Verwendung von Fernerkundungsverfahren (Applicant Frede, Hans-Georg )
• Quantification and biogeochemical modeling of C and N turnover processes and biosphere-atmosphere exchange of C and N compounds (Applicant Butterbach-Bahl, Klaus )
• Regional identification of sensitive areas for wind-driven matter fluxes and quantification of wind-driven matter fluxes across ecosystem boundaries (Applicant Sommer, Michael )
• Regional water balance and matter flow (Applicant Frede, Hans-Georg )
• Surface and satellite based remote sensing to infer rain rates within the Xilin catchment (Applicant Berger, Franz Herbert )

• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Klaus Butterbach-Bahl