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The 2008 Joint Meeting of the 21st International Grassland Congress and the 8th International Range-land Congress will be the premier forum for the presentation of technological advances and research results in grassland and rangeland management. The Congress will bring together leading scientists and practitioners from around the world. It will cover the status of physical resources, biodiversity, management of grasslands/rangelands and cultural values.

The main theme "Multifunctional Grasslands and Rangelands in a Changing World" will be split into three simultaneous sub-themes: A Grasslands/Rangelands Resources and Ecology; B Grasslands/ Rangelands Production Systems; C Grasslands/Rangelands People and Policies. There will be four days for presentations and poster viewing during the Congress, with plenary papers each day. The themes cover the areas of interests of both the International Grassland Congress and the International Rangeland Congress with 24 half-day sessions during the congress which includes:

Theme A: Grasslands/Rangelands Resources & Ecology

A1. Ecology of Grasslands/Rangelands

This session will discuss the various ecological aspects of grasslands/rangelands at individual, population, community, ecosystem and landscape scales. It will cover biota which are unique to grazed ecosystems, ecosystem function and dynamics as well as eco-physiology of grazed plants with economical or ecological importance. The session will include overall trends and conditions of rangeland and grassland, and the factors leading to resilience of different biomes.

A2. Soil Quality and Plant Nutrition

This session will deal with issues related to soil quality and health management. It will include nutrient cycling, including the nitrogen cycle, nitrogen fixation and N2O emissions in various grassland/range-land ecosystems; soil health indicators from the perspective of biological, chemical and physical aspects; interactions of effects of different nutrition elements on plant growth; use of waste from intensive livestock production systems; and rhizobia and AM fungi on plant nutrition and vegetation succession.

A3. Soil-Plant-Animal Interrelationships

This session will consider the complexity and integrity of soil, plant and animal interactions in grass-land/rangeland systems. For rangelands, both "modern" management schemes and more "tradi-tional" mobile production systems will be covered. It will include response of plants and soils to grazing; and effects of secondary compounds in plants on grazing animals. It will also consider tech-niques for measurement and control of animal intake and grazing behaviour of different herbivore species under different utilization and management systems of grasslands/rangelands.

A4. Sustainability Indicators for the Use and Conservation of Grassland/Rangeland Resources

This session will deal with strategies and tools for management, production and conservation of world-wide grazing land resources. It will include the development and use of social, economic, environmen-tal and biological indicators to assess and diagnose the health of grassland/rangeland, and the use of various models developed to predict the conditions of grazing lands.

A5. Application of Information Technology to Monitoring Grassland/Rangeland Resource Management

This session will examine the latest developments in monitoring and accounting of grassland/range-land resources through the use of new information technologies such as remote sensing, geographic information systems and expert systems. It will include classification systems of grasslands/rangelands, standardization and description of ecological sites, non-equilibrium rangeland dynamics, and inventory processes for grassland/rangeland at the international, regional, national and property levels.

A6. Reclamation of Grasslands/Rangelands

This session will mainly deal with disturbed ecosystems which are induced either directly or indirectly by human activities. It will cover topics of degradation including grazing land degradation, soil salinization, desertification, mining and other human activities. Technical developments in restoration and improve-ments through biological and engineering approaches in developing and developed countries will be considered.

A7. Water Resources in Grasslands/Rangelands

This session will present the latest knowledge in ecosystem functions of grazing lands with reference to water resources, water and soil erosion, water quality and quantity in grasslands/rangelands. Man-agement and protection of riparian zones and water flow into lakes and rivers will be considered.

A8. Climate Change and Impacts on Grasslands/Rangelands

This session will summarize the latest progress in research of green house gases, carbon emissions and climate change in the grasslands/rangelands ecosystems. It will include the role of grassland/range-land production systems, carbon sequestration and sink resources in grazing lands, the likely impact of climate change on grassland/rangeland function and the ways of adapting to carbon dynamics under climate change and climate change itself. It will include comparative strategies of pastoralists and farmers to manage change.

Theme B: Grasslands/Rangelands Production Systems

B1. Livestock Production Systems

This session will cover the development of livestock production from grassland/rangeland systems. It will include plant and animal management and systems design that will overcome the seasonal imbal-ance of feed supply and animal demand; and consider strategies for the natural control of parasites and diseases in ruminant animals (e.g.: condensed tannins). Also included will be the role that livestock play in rangeland ecosystems, the grazing systems that support livestock diversity, and the advantages of livestock mobility given changing climate and animal genetics.

B2. Integration of Crop, Forage and Forest Systems

This session will examine progress in the development of integrated livestock/crop production /forest systems in both developed and developing countries. It will cover agro-silvo-pastoral system including the use of multi purpose trees in developing countries and the function and value of agroforest in grassland farming systems. It will also consider environmentally friendly production systems (e.g.: organics), the role of livestock manures in low input systems, and the use of forages in such systems to enhance sustainable development, especially in developing countries.

B3. Amenity and Conservation Turf and Turfgrass

This session will discuss the latest developments in turf and turfgrass research and production. It will include developing turfgrass cultivars for sports and conservation, turf establishment, maintenance, management, development of special turf, equipment for turf and assessments of turf quality

B4. Developing Improved Plants

This session will focus on plant improvement for both animal production and environmental protection. It will include the breeding of forage legumes and grasses with conventional techniques for temperate and tropical environments, the use of biotechnology in forage and grass improvement, and the protec-tion of intellectual property through plant variety rights.

B5. Domestication of Native Grasslands/Rangeland Plants for Regional Use

This session will focus on the development of local ecotypes of rangeland plants for use in cultivated pastures and rangeland restoration. It will include current research and development in the techniques and methods used in collection, domestication, evaluation and the selection of native forage germplasm at international, regional and national levels. It will particularly address the role of this germplasm in terms of production and environmental benefits and associated development costs.

B6. Seed Science and Technology

This session will deal with herbage seed technologies and production. It will include seed production, seed certification, seed testing, seed storage, quality assessment and management systems, and seed marketing systems.

B7. Forage Quality, Conservation and Utilization

This session will address the advances in technology for forage quality, conservation and utilization. It will include the effects of forage quality on animal performance and attributes of animal products; and the conservation and quality control of conserved forage in various forms, including hay making, silage processing, deferred grazing and forage stockpiling.

B8. Integrated Management of Harmful Organisms of Grasslands/Rangelands

This session will address the progress in integrated management of the biological constraints in grass-land/rangeland ecosystems, including plant diseases, insect pests, rodents, weeds and harmful plants, and the role of quarantine.

Theme C: Grasslands/Rangelands People and Policies

C1. People in Grasslands/Rangelands

This session will address the role of grasslands/rangelands from the perspective of social and cultural issues, including the special relationship between indigenous people and grazing lands, cultural signifi-cance of the landscape, indigenous management of communal grazing lands, characteristics of con-trasting communities and conflicts at the urban-rural interface due to increasing human and livestock population. It will consider the natural, economic and social risks that pastoral people face and how these risks can be managed.

C2. Policy Issues for Grasslands/Rangelands

This session will examine how policy influences the utilization, management, protection and sustain-able production of grasslands/rangelands, including governance issues; trans-boundary issues in terms of mobility of pastoralists and their livestock and products; and economic regulations and government policies that aim to balance the economic and ecological value of grazing lands. It will consider inno-vative legal and institutional mechanisms of tenure arrangements such as community-owned grazing rights, trading of grazing rights, permits and fees, mechanisms to enable mobility of pastoral commu-nities and innovative economic policies to reduce risks such as livestock insurance and credit schemes.

C3. Land Use Change and Grassland/Rangeland Tenure

This session will consider the on-going policy debate of future "intensification" versus "extensification" of grasslands/rangelands. Such issues as the conversion of grasslands/rangelands to cultivation, privatization, sedentarization and ranching; or the revival of transhumance, conversion to multiple use nature reserves and watershed conservation will be considered. Central to this debate will be the issue of land tenure, especially the rights for pastoral communities to maintain flexibility across the landscapes.

C4. Institutional Innovations for the Conservation of Grassland/Rangeland Biodiversity

This session will explore the political, social and economic innovations that have occurred in both developed and developing countries to conserve grasslands/rangelands and protect genetic diversity, both wild and domestic. This includes mechanisms that promote "conservation through use", rather than classic models of protected areas. Such mechanisms include: the use of conservation easements to protect agricultural and ranch lands from development, integrated conservation and development models, and global legal and economic instruments to protect genetic resources. Improvement and maintenance of biodiversity will be considered from both practice and policy perspectives.

C5. Non-Livestock Amenities of Grassland/Rangeland Resources

This session will examine the use of natural resources of grasslands/rangelands other than livestock production, the need for diversification of resource use for grassland/rangeland dwellers, the role of related policies and the consequences caused by various alternative uses at different spatial scales. It will include the use of grassland/rangeland resources as biofuel and other alternative energy re-sources (e.g.: wind, solar); the conservation and harvesting of medicinal plants, herbs and animal products; and the provision of eco-tourism, recreation, hunting, and wildlife habitat.

C6. Market and Marketing for Grasslands/Rangelands

This session will examine the influences of marketing systems on grasslands/rangelands, including the economics of livestock production systems, impact of market demands on grassland/rangeland degradation, and the development of marketing systems for crop and livestock products, through such means as product certification and niche marketing.

C7. Innovation Systems in Grasslands/Rangelands through Education and Practice

This session will focus on the development of multi-stakeholder learning platforms for improved man-agement of grassland/rangeland resources. It will include the state of extension systems in both developed and developing countries; case studies of participatory research and development￡?and the role that returning educated pastoralists and local farmer associations play in replacing or augment-ing traditional government services. It will also consider the special education needs at various levels, including development of curriculum, approaches for practical training, developing communication skills, and conventional and modern education technology used in grassland/rangeland education.

C8. China Grassland/Rangeland Forum

This session will present the latest development in grassland/rangeland research and production, and will discuss issues affecting sustainable grassland/rangeland management to balance production and environmental protection in contrasting regions in China. It will also include impacts of globalization, social services under different land tenure, extension service, and the role of forage and livestock enterprises in pastoral region development.

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