SINO-AUSTRALIAN WORKSHOP

Summary report

Objectives

• Enhance communication and cooperation between Chinese and Australian scientists and experts.
• Provide a forum for identifying and discussing the root causes of grasslands degradation in China and for sharing the lessons learned from efforts to fight it.
• Identify gaps and opportunities for new research programs/partnerships seeking to address the problem.

Tuesday, 6 December 2005

Introduction
Chair: Dr Bob Clements
Executive Director, Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Crawford Fund

Welcome and China/Australia collaboration
Dr Jim Peacock
President, Australian Academy of Science

Threats to sustainable grasslands
Dr TJ Higgins
Chair of National Committee for Plant and Animal Science, Australian Academy of Science

Opening comments by Chinese Embassy
Her Excellency Mme Fu Ying
Chinese Ambassador to Australia

Presentation by Chinese leader, outlining Chinese Government policies regarding grasslands conservation
Mr Liu Liangui
Ministry of Agriculture, P.R China

Presentations by Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Chair: Mr Michael Hassett
Australian Agency for International Development

China-Australia environment development strategy 2006-2010
Ms Jennifer Gregory
Australian Agency for International Development Lessons from AusAID's Alxa League environment Rehabilitation/Management Project (ALERMP)/Inner Mongolia Grasslands Project Phase II (ACIL)
Mr Noel Haug
Alxa League

Current work by the ADB on grasslands (capacity building to combat land degradation project)
Dr Philip Young
Inner Mongolia Grasslands Project Phase II

Problem analysis of grassland degradation in China and Austalian research capabilities
Chairs: Dr TJ Higgins
Chair, National Committee for Plant and Animal Sciences, Australian Academy of Science, and Deputy Chief CSIRO Plant Industry
Professor Tang Huajun
Director General, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science
Dr Bob Clements
Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Crawford Fund

Understanding Chinese grassland livestock system management from view of Science, Technology and policy
Professor Tang Huajun
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science

Research by China agricultural economics groups at The University of Queensland on sustainable development and grassland degradation in China's pastoral region
Dr Colin G Brown and Dr Scott Waldron
School of Natural and Rural Systems Management, The University of Queensland

Main ecological problems of the sustainable utilization of grasslands in China
Professor Sun Qizhong
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science

Chinese grasslands: The next ten years?
Dr Gordon King
Secretary General, International Rangeland Congress

Grassland resources and its sustainable utilization in inner Mongolia
Dr Liu Yong Zhi
Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Sciences

CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems grazing land research
Dr Andrew Ash and Dr Kenneth Hodgkinson
CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems

Changing the traditional feeding system to achieve sustainable development of animal production in inner Mongolian pastoral area
Professor Lu De-Xun
Inner Mongolian Academy of Agriculture and Animal Sciences

Pasture Development Group – New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and Charles Sturt University, Orange
David Michalk
Director, Orange Agriculture Institute

The role of small mammals in grassland in China
Professor Shi Dazhao
China Agriculture University

The role of small mammals in grassland degradation in China: Defining the problem
Dr Roger Pech
Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, New Zealand
Dr Tony Arthur
CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Australia
Dr Lyn Hinds
CSIRO Entomology, Australia
Professor Shi Dazhao
College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, China Agriculture University

The role of small mammals in grassland degradation in China: Future research
Dr Tony Arthur
CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Australia
Dr Roger Pech
Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, New Zealand
Professor Shi Dazhao
College of Agriculture and biotechnology, China Agriculture University,

Feasibility of fertility control for Brandt's vole
Dr Lyn A Hinds
CSIRO Entomology, AUSTRALIA
Hui Li
State Key Laboratory for Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chris Hardy
CSIRO Entomology, AUSTRALIA
Meirong Zhao
State Key Laboratory for Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yanling Wang
State Key Laboratory for Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhibin Zhang
State Key Laboratory for Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

The current situation of grassland management and sustained utilization of grassland resource in Qinghai Province, China
Mr Shi Dejun
Qinghai Bureau of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry

The effect of overgrazing on alpine grassland degradation in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
Dr Long Ruijun
Gansu Agricultural University, Chinese Academy of Sciences

The response of plant community structure and composing species to disturbing factors (eg, grazing) in alpine meadow
Professor Du GuoZhen
Lanzhou University

Improving the productivity and sustainability of rainfed farming systems for the western Loess Plateau of Gansu province
Dr William Bellotti
School of Agriculture and Wine, The University of Adelaide

Lucerne adapted to adverse environments in China and Australia (ACIAR Project: LPS/1998/026)
Mr Geoff Auricht
South Australian Research and Development Institute

Monitoring and management of grassland in Northern China
Professor Chen Zhongxin
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science

Real time monitoring of grasslands, providing information for grazing management
Mr Graham Donald
CSIRO Livestock Industries

Modeling on grassland NPP and understanding resource management at different scales in Northern China
Professor Xin Xiaoping
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science

The GRAZPLAN project: Modelling and decision support for grasslands
Dr Andrew Moore and Dr Libby Salmon
CSIRO Plant Industry

Wednesday, 7 December 2005

Response from Chinese experts
Chair: Professor Tang Huajun
Director General, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science

Identification of possible research topics/partnerships
Chair: Dr Andrew Moore
CSIRO Plant Industry

Preliminary scoping of chosen joint research/partnerships topics
Chair: Professor Tang Huajun
Director General, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science

Thursday, 8 December 2005

A field trip to the Southern Tablelands and Monaro regions of NSW focused on options to maintain a balance between sheep grazing systems for sustainable wool production and the conservation of biodiversity. Annual rainfall across the region ranges from about 500 to 700mm and it is uniformly distributed through the year. The native pastures are based on perennial grasses growing on soils derived from granite or basalt. The region experiences very cold winters and mild to warm summers.