Climate Change Effects on Temperate Grassland and Its Implication for Forage Production: A Case Study from Northern Germany

The effects of climate change on agricultural ecosystems are increasing, and droughts affect many regions. Drought has substantial ecological, social, economic consequences for the sustainability land. Many regions northern hemisphere have not experienced a high frequency meteorological in past. For understanding implications grassland, analysis long-term data provides key information relevant improved grassland management strategies. Using weather production from permanent site, our aims were (i) to detect most important drought periods that affected region (ii) assess whether changes variability significantly forage last decade. this purpose, daily (1961–2019) standardized precipitation index (SPI), De Martonne (IDM), water deficit (WD), dryness (DI), yield anomaly (YAI), annual loss (YL) used provide scientific estimation. results show that, despite positive trend DI negative WD precipitation, time-series trends WD, indices 1961–2019 significant. Extreme dry conditions also identified with SPI values less than ?2. measured (2007–2018) harvested four-cut silage system (with without organic N-fertilization) showed strong correlation (R = 0.64; p ? 0. 05). main losses indicated years 2008 2018. study could perspective monitoring, as well warning, northwest Europe.