Bilateral cross-border Interreg Saxony – Czech Republic project (D/CZ): "Causes of the decline in grassland diversity in protected areas in the Czech-Saxon border region (DiGraSo)"
(2024-2027), Friederike Roy & Harald Kellner
DiGraSo is an international and interdisciplinary research project that brings together researchers from the Czech Republic and Germany to investigate the influence of botanical and microbial diversity in species-rich grasslands in the border region. The project involves the TUD Dresden University of Technology Liberec as lead partner, the IHI-Zittau (TU Dresden), the Senckenberg Museum Görlitz and the Česká Zemědělská Univerzita v Praze, each with a different scientific focus.
Projektpartner bei der Messung der Bodenatmung mit einem Trace Gas Analyzer (LI-COR LI-7810 CH4/CO2/H2O) im Vorland des Zittauer Gebirges.
The IHI team focuses on the molecular biological recording of fungal biodiversity on extensively managed meadows, particularly with regard to rare meadow fungi species ("Red List species"), about which hardly anything is known in the region under investigation. In addition, we measure the emissions of climate-relevant gases such as methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in near-natural and intensively managed meadows in order to record the change in material cycles depending on the form of management.
Kleiner Fuchs (Aglais urticae) auf einer Acker-Witwenblume (Knautia arvensis) auf einer der Wiesen im Vorland des Zittauer Gebirges.
The aim of this project is to use our research results to develop management recommendations for owners and information material for interested citizens, taking into account not only plants but also soil organisms such as fungi, bacteria and mesofauna. In this way, we want to make a contribution to the more comprehensive recording and protection of healthy ecosystems and habitats in the border region of Upper Lusatia.
EU funding (ERDF): € 1,079,743.49
Acknowledgements:
We would like to thank the funder (ERDF), our project partners and supporters. In particular to Susann Koppelt and Maren Mählig (Lower Nature Conservation Authority), Ute Pfeiffer (EPC TU Dresden), Henning Haase (Nature Conservation Center Zittau), Michael Schlitt (Upper Lusatia Foundation) and Alexander Karich (meadow mushroom expert at IHI Zittau) and all the hard-working helpers.