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Projekt
Vulnerabilität und Resilienz von Weidesystemen unter dem Einfluss von Bewirtschaftung, Boden und Klima
Antragsteller
Professor Dr. Frank Ewert
Fachliche Zuordnung
Pflanzenbau, Pflanzenernährung, Agrartechnik
Förderung
Förderung von 2010 bis 2017
Projektkennung
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 165405448
The vegetation of East and South African savannahs has been shaped by the complex interaction of geo-biophysical processes and human impact. For both regions a controversial discussion is pertinent, as to whether massive degradation threatens the sustainability of livelihoods in these regions. Rangeland vegetation is mainly affected by environmental conditions (soil and climate) and by livestock management. Extent and interaction of these drivers are not well understood but have profound impacts on the resilience and vulnerability of these systems to be shifted toward unfavourable degraded or bush encroached states. The project aims to analyse and model rangeland vegetation in response to range management including livestock, soil quality and climatic conditions and to assess the impacts of changes in these conditions on the resilience and vulnerability of rangeland systems. Field measurements, remote sensing of vegetation patterns and dynamics and simulation modelling will be used to understand the dynamics of rangeland vegetation. We will use the ‘fast’ or ‘state’ variables potential of pastures to produce palatable biomass, the variability of this production, and the system’s potential to recover from disturbance impact as indicators of resilience. ‘slow’ variables that control (or drive) the ‘fast’ variables such as management, climate and soil variables are recorded in cooperation with other subprojects as with A1 for soil variables. Results of the project will show which management activities are most favourable for individual regions to sustain plant production in the long term.
DFG-Verfahren
Forschungsgruppen
