Inhaltspezifische Aktionen

13.02.2026 - Colloquium: Grassland Restoration Increases Crop Yields through Local Climate Regulation in China

Wann

13.02.2026 von 14:00 bis 15:00 (Europe/Berlin / UTC100)

Wo

Online / Seminar room S4 Zeughaus

Name des Kontakts

Termin zum Kalender hinzufügen

iCal

Abstract

Ecosystem restoration is often perceived as competing with agricultural production; however, this view overlooks potential synergies arising from biophysical feedbacks. We show that large-scale grassland restoration under China’s Grassland Ecological Compensation Policy (GECP) significantly enhances maize yields by regulating the local microclimate. Using a staggered difference-in-differences design with county-level panel data, we find that restored grasslands reduce average growing-season temperatures by approximately 0.11 °C and increase precipitation by 11.48 mm, thereby mitigating extreme heat and drought during critical reproductive stages. These microclimatic changes extend the maize reproductive growth period by 0.93 days, increase yields by 7.76% (0.437 t/ha), and reduce crop failure risk by 25.9%. From an economic perspective, yield gains alone offset more than 80% of program costs within five years, and the additional production could alleviate nearly 10% of China’s maize import deficit in the Northern Spring Maize Region. Overall, our findings challenge the conventional trade-off narrative between conservation and agriculture and highlight ecosystem restoration as a scalable strategy for climate-resilient food security.

Speaker: Prof. Dr. Min Liu a Guest Professor at Justus Liebig University Giessen, a Professor at Lanzhou University, China and a Visiting Scholar at the University of Bonn.

Date: 13.02.2026 14:00-15:00 CET