Grassland ecophysiology, carbon sequestration potential, management, and climate change adaptation

Grassland systems across different continents face a multitude of common problems; however, site specific or regional components such as e.g. the respective ecosystem's grazing history are also important and, thus, require system-specific approaches. The grassland systems under study on the different continents have similarities and also differences with regard to factors that determine their management and use. The pressure on natural grasslands is constantly increasing through population growth and associated encroachment of agriculture and increasing demand for food and raw materials.

Funds

Projects

Savanna - “Underutilized or unprotected? New methods for analyzing diverging perspectives on the large-scale conversion of tropical grassland eco-systems” University of Hohenheim - 2015-2019

LiveCarbon - Livelihood diversifying potential of livestock based carbon sequestration options in pastoral and agro pastoral systems in Africa - BMZ 2011 - 2014

GrassRemote - Combining grass management and animal behavior to develop cost‐effective and sustainable grazing management strategies - Center for Agriclture in the Tropics and Subtropics - University of Hohenheim - 2012-2015

Carbon and water dynamics in Grasslands

PhD

 People

Benjamin Warth
funded by Savanna - “Underutilized or unprotected? New methods for analyzing diverging perspectives on the large-scale conversion of tropical grassland eco-systems” - Elrichshausen Stiftung

Sarah Glatzle
funded by the Anton und Petra Ehrmann Research Training Group: Water-People-Agriculture

Ditmar Kurz
"Management of excess standing biomass in Argentinean grasslands to increase grass and livestock productivity" - PhD Thesis, University of Hohenheim, 2016
funded by the Food Security Center, University Hohenheim and the Foundation fiat-panis

MSc

Effects grassland conversion on soil moisture dynamics on Ol Maisor Ranch, Laikipia, Kenya
Master of Science Thesis, Gabriella Soto-Velez, [USA]

Herd foraging and vegetation dynamics in a savanna system in Laikipia County, Kenya
Master of Science Thesis, Anna Seidel [Germany]

Microclimate of integrated farming systems in the Brazilian Cerrado eco-region and its implications for the field water dynamics.
Master of Science Thesis, Severin Hübner [Germany]
supported by the foundation fiat panis

Effect of vegetation density on grazing behavior of free-ranging cattle in grasslands of Northeast Argentina
Master of Science Thesis, Cecilia Molo [Argentina]

Effects of repeated bunch grazing on fodder quality and species composition of Argentinean pastures
Master of Science Thesis, Saskia Windisch [Germany]

Effects of  leaf area dynamics on the micro climate in semi-arid grasslands
Master of Science Thesis, Bosco Kidake [Kenya]

"Diurnal responses in carbon assimilation of grassland species to micro-climate".
Master of Science Thesis, Christina Seckinger [Germany]

"Effects of vegetation type on carbon sequestration in semi-arid Ethiopian Savannahs"
Master of Science Thesis, Beatrice Breuer [Germany]

"Effects of water availability on carbon sequestration in semi-arid Ethiopian Savannahs"
Master of Science Thesis, Sarah Glatzle [Germany]

"Effects of management practices on carbon sequestration in semi-arid Ethiopian Savannahs"
Master of Science Thesis, Lena Rathjen [Germany]

"Relationship between vegetation cover and soil carbon in Northern Kenyan grasslands"
Master of Science Thesis, Barnabas Kurgat [Kenya]

"Monitoring the encroachment of Northern Argentinean grasslands by invasive species using NDVI"
Master of Science Thesis, Ruben Gonzales [Argentina]

"Adaptation mechanisms of Leymus chinensis to grazing and salt-alkali stress"
Master of Science Thesis, Yanhua Wang [China]

 BSc

Tag/Nacht Effekte auf Blattstreckungsraten von ausgewählten C3 und C4 Gräsern
Bachelor of Science Thesis, Rebecca Wolf, [Germany]

Einfluss abiotischer Stressfaktoren auf das Blattwachstum bei Panicum maximum
Bachelor of Science Thesis, Sophia Bothe [Germany]

Auswirkungen von hoch-intensiv Beweidung auf die Bodenwasserdynamik in Nord-Argentinischen Grasländern.
Bachelor of Science Thesis, Rabea Mächtel [Germany]

"Transpirationsdynamik von Steppengräsern nach Trockenstress"
Bachelor of Science Thesis, Caroline Weiler [Germany]

Paper

Publications

Warth, B., Marohn, C., Asch, F. 2021. Improved simulation of plant-animal interactions in African savannas with the extended land use change model LUCIA. Ecological modelling 446 - 109496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2021.109496

Glatzle, S., Stuerz, S., Giese, M., Pereira, M., de Almeida, R. G., Bungenstab, D., Macedo, M. C. M., Asch, F. 2021. Seasonal dynamics of radiation, soil moisture, and aboveground grass biomass in a mature integrated-crop-livestock-forestry system in Central-West Brazil. Agriculture 11, 245. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11030245

Warth, B., Marohn, C., Asch, F. 2020. Modelling land use change effects on ecosystem functions in African Savannas – a review . Global Food Security 26, 100421, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100421

Kurtz, D. B., Giese, M., Asch, F., Windisch, S. H., Goldfarb, M. C. 2018.
Effects of High Impact Grazing on Species Diversity and Plant Functional Groups in Grasslands of Northern Argentina. Sustainability 2018, 10, 3153; doi.org/10.3390/su10093153

Kisambo, B. K., Pfister, J., Schaffert, A., Asch, F. 2016
Leaf area dynamics and aboveground biomass of specific vegetation types of a semi-arid grassland in southern Ethiopia. Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems 19, 253-262.

Kurtz, D. B., Asch, F., Giese, M., Huelsebusch, C., Goldfarb, M. C., Casco, J. F., 2016
High impact grazing as a management tool to optimize biomass growth in northern Argentinean grassland. Ecological Indicators 63, 100-109.

Diabate, B., Gao, Y., Li, Y., Wang, C., Sun, B., Asch, F., Zhou, D., 2015
Associations Between Species Distribution Patterns and Soil Salinity in the Songnen Grassland. Arid Land Research and Management 29, 199-209.

Kurgat, B. K., Golicha, D., Giese, M., Kuria, S. G., Asch, F. 2014
Relationship between vegetation cover types and soil organic carbon in the rangelands of Northern Kenya. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 26 (9), Article #162.

Talks

Landscape-scale interactions between pastures, crops, trees and cattle in savanna grassland systems
Marohn, C., Warth, B., Troost, C., Bateki, C.A., Dickhöfer, U., Berger, T., Asch, F., Birner, R., Cadisch, G., 2020. , Presented at the 10th International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software, 14-18.9.2020 "Modelling for Environmental Sustainability". Brussels, Belgium

Poster

Warth, B., Mahron, C., Asch, F. 2019.
"Assessing Impacts of Crop Expansion and Overstocking in Kenyan Savannah Rangelands Using the LUCIA Model."
In: Tropentag 2019: Filling gaps and removing traps for sustainable resources manage-ment, Tielkes, E. (ed.) Aufl. - Göttingen: Cuvillier, 2019

Kurtz, D., Giese, M., Asch, F., Dickhoefer, U., 2018.
"High impact grazing enhances grass forage quality in northern Argentina".
Tropentag 2018, September 17-19, University of Ghent, Belgium.

Glatzle, S., Giese, M., Almeida, R. G., Bungestab, D. J., Asch, F. 2017
"Soil Moisture and Microclimate in Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forestry Systems of Central West Brazil"
Tropentag 2017, September 20-22, University of Bonn, Germany

Glatzle, S., Giese, M., Asch, F. 2015
"Screening for water saving traits of common fodder grasses used in integrated crop-livestock-forestry systems of central west Brazil"
Tropentag 2015, September 16-18, Berlin, Germany

Windisch, S., Kurtz, D., Asch, F. 2015
"Does high impact grazing change plant species composition or diversity of northern Argentinean grasslands?"
Tropentag 2015, September 16-18, Berlin, Germany

Kurtz, D., Goldfarb, M., Quiros, O., Nunez, F., Asch, F. 2014
"Does high impact grazing and trampling affect grasslands floristic composition?".
"Bridging the gap between increasing knowledge and decreasing resources" - Tropentag 2014, September 17-19, Prague, Czech Republic

Kurtz, D., Giese, M., Goldfarb, M., Verdoljack, J., Ybarra, D., Huelsebusch, C., Asch, F. 2013
"High impact grazing as management option for excess standing biomass in Argentinean grasslands".
"Agricultural development within the rural-urban continuum" - Tropentag 2013, September 17 - 19, Hohenheim, Germany

Pfister, J., Asch, F., Said, M., Giese, M. 2013.
"Estimation of Carbon Sequestration Potential under Different Vegetation Types in the Borana Rangelands, Ethiopia".
"Agricultural development within the rural-urban continuum" - Tropentag 2013, September 17 - 19, Hohenheim, Germany

Díaz Falú, E., Brizuela, M., Kurtz, D., Giese, M., Asch, F. 2012
"Cattle and Sheep Foraging Behaviour in a Heterogeneous Subtropical Grassland"
Resilience of Agricultural Systems against Crises - Tropentag 2012 - 19-21 September 2012, Göttingen, Germany

Giese, M., Gao, Y., Brueck, H., Asch, F. 2012.
"Management options for sustainable land-use of Inner Mongolia typical steppe – lessons from a comprehensive N balance"
Resilience of Agricultural Systems against Crises - Tropentag 2012 - 19-21 September 2012, Göttingen, Germany

Rathjen, L., Pfister J., Asch. F, 2012. 
"Effects of management practices on carbon allocation in the semi-arid Savannahs of the Borana Region, Ethiopia"
Resilience of Agricultural Systems against Crises - Tropentag 2012, September 19-21, 2012 Göttingen, Germany