Future Proof Grasslands
Future Proof Grasslands
Resilience of ecosystem services in the grassland regions of the Northwestern German coastal lowlands against climate change by an adapted water management
Project summary
Over the course of centuries, the coastal region in northwestern Germany was made arable through inland drainage. Grassland, managed by dairy farms, has established itself as the dominant form of agricultural land use in the region.
In recent times grassland has faced new challenges. Precipitation decreases in summer, while winters are becoming wetter. This leads to reduced yields and crop failures during the growing season. Climate-adapted water management aims to address these challenges by retaining during dry periods while still allowing drainage in winter.
Controlled drainage via surface drains (so called “Grüppen”) is to be tested at two sites each in the Wesermarsch and East Frisia. The aim is to prevent the groundwater level from dropping below 60 cm below ground level during the growing season, thereby ensuring a water supply for the grassland during periods of drought.
In practice, controlled drainage can make grassland more climate-resilient, while also influencing vegetation composition, yield levels, and nutrient flows. To capture and account for all these factors, FPG comprises an interdisciplinary project consortium with broad-based expertise, spanning a total of eight work packages (WPs).
In collaboration with the State Authority for Mining, Energy and Geology (LBEG), we—as part of WP 7—are addressing the optimization of biogeochemical material fluxes at both regional and field scale. In this context, our tasks at UOL include comprehensive monitoring of water levels in adjacent water bodies, drainage ditches, and groundwater monitoring wells. Furthermore, we measure hydrochemical parameters—such as pH, electrical conductivity and oxygen —as well as dissolved nutrient concentrations (phosphorus, ammonium, nitrate) in these waters. The data collected are intended to provide information on whether controlled drainage can successfully stabilize groundwater levels during the summer half-year and to determine the resulting effects on nutrient concentrations and loads of the waters.