Native grassland in China is mostly meadow, typical or desert steppe and comprises 400million hectares, ~40% of the land area. We review past research on the meadow steppe of north-east China. Our foci are plant adaptation to climate, edaphic-related and defoliation stresses, vegetation production, grassland management, herbivore foraging behaviour, safe stocking rates, plant-animal interactions, ecosystem functioning, conservation of biodiversity and the influence of climate change on grassland function. Recent studies have provided some insights into ecological processes and functioning of meadow steppe, and have enabled better identification of research opportunities. Key areas identified for future research include plant adaptation, grassland function and value, monitoring of range health, ecological consequences of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem function.
Full-text publications from the Australian Rangelands Society (ARS) Biennial Conference Proceedings (1997-), Rangeland Journal (ARS/CSIRO; 1976-), plus videos and other resources about the rangelands of Australia.