Adaption of selected biophysical models to predict resources use efficiency of ruminant production in tropical grasslands

Grass and woodlands cover about 35% of the global land surface but the growing human dependence especially on grasslands for overall food and feed production is changing the land uses associated with these areas. Also true for the African Guinea Savanna (~ 600 million hectares of land), such scales of grassland conversion may have far reaching negative effects on the environment (soils, plant and animal biodiversity, hydrology and carbon storage).

Therefore, focusing on the ruminant production land uses, we aim at:

• exploring animal-related models for quantitatively and qualitatively predicting feed resource use by ruminants
• conceptualizing and implementing possible linkages with existing grassland crop and socio-economic models