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Ecophysiological experiments on two dominant grass species from Northern Chinese Steppe ecosystem, Leymus Chinensis and Stipa baicalensis |
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The rhizome grass Leymus chinensis and the bunch grass Stipa baicalensis are key-species of semi-arid grasslands with major contribution to the productivity of a large livestock based land use system in Northern China. Increasing temperature and rainfall variability will change growing conditions and the effects on ecosystem functions are poorly understood. Detailed physiological, greenhouse based studies are one option to understand response mechanisms of this dominant grass species to multiple abiotic stresses. We offer Bachelor's theses to analyze different ecophysiological processes related to water use of Stipa and Leymus species. The greenhouse based experiments will take about 4-6 weeks. Begin: any time |
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Contact: fa @uni-hohenheim.de |
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Effects of different seed coats on early seedling survival in grasses |
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Grasses provide a number of services to agriculture. They are used as feedstock, erosion control or soil ameliorant. Often the combination of different grass species makes the meadow or grassland valuable as fodder. Many grasses have different germination patterns and different levels of dormancy. Often grasses start to germinate with early rains, but are then killed by a subsequent drought spell. Coating technology can help to mitigate some of those problems during the early establishment phase Studies will concentrate on coatings differing in composition and their effects on germination rate and early seedling growth. Seedling survival will be studies with early mild and severe drought spells. Experiments will be conducted in growth chambers or greenhouse. Coated seed are available from Poi, Acrostic and Lolium species.
This work is part of a collaboration with Feldsaaten Freudenberger Begin: any time |
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Contact: fa @uni-hohenheim.de |
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Link Feldsaaten Freudenberger |
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Species compositions of natural grasslands as affected by variations in rainfall and temperature |
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There are some indications, that recent changes in temperture and rainfall variablitiy may affect the species composition in natural grasslands and that this change may affect the feed stock quality of natural grasslands in the long run. This study will investigate the recent publications in this area, will use either semi-arid Kenyan, humid Argentinean or temperate Chinese grasslands for a case study and describe the changes in species composition observed as well as its consequences for the ecology of those grasslands This is a literature based study, duration 3 months. Begin: any time |
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Contact: fa @uni-hohenheim.de |
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Can the application of Abscisic Acid increase water acquisition potential in plants? |
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Several reports have shown that under certain conditions ABA application to the root can increase the hydraulic conductivity of the root. ABA is known to be a stress hormone normally induced by drought stress. With the hydraulic conductivity increased the root can more easily take up water. This study will verify these reports for a number of contrasting species. C3 and C4 plants, monocots and dicots, annual and perennial plants will be grown hydroponically, ABA will be applied and the water uptake rate will be measured. The experimental part of this study will take 5-8 weeks Begin: any time, preferably in winter |
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Contact: fa @uni-hohenheim.de |
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