Sensing

The Working Group “Sensing” held its first workshop on “Sensing in grassland and forage science and practice” on occasion of the EGF Symposium held in Sardinia 2017.

Chair of the EGF Working Group Sensing

Prof. Dr Michael Wachendorf 
Grassland Science and Renewable Plant Resources, Universität Kassel
Steinstrasse 19
37213 Witzenhausen

E-mail  mwachextra@uni-kassel.de
Phone  +49 (0)5542 98-1334

2017 - Workshop “Sensing in grassland and forage science and practice”

The EGF Working Group “Sensing in grassland and forage science and practice” held its constituting assembly and first workshop on 7 May 2017 at the Congress Venue of the Department of Architecture, Muralla de l’Hospital (Bastioni Pigafetta) in Alghero, Sardinia (Italy). The goals of the workshop were:

  1. to exchange information on ongoing Research
  2. to learn about practical implementations 
  3. to discuss future joint projects.

The workshop covered all possible sensor systems (e.g. spectroscopy, photography, laser etc.) and their application in the various vegetation for grassland ecosystems.

Proceedings of the workshop “Sensing in grassland and forage science and practice”

Working Group “Sensing in grassland and forage science and practice”

Why sensing in Grassland?

  • Grassland is a complex ecosystem with enormous temporal and spatial dynamics
  • Many small-scale interactions are still not understood
  • Effects on the large scale are rarely researched
  • Management often guided by traditional or personal experience, rather than by scientific/objective information

Overarching hypothesis
Sensing can provide cheap, accurate and timely information

  • to scientists for an improved understanding of ecosystem functioning and
  • to farmers to support their decision-making

Challenge
To identify sensors for specific problems with adequate

  • information accuracy
  • spatial and temporal Resolution
  • costs and reliability

Why an EGF Working Group?

  • Sensing is a rather new research area
  • Grassland is an extremely interesting field of application
  • Expertise/specialists are widely distributed among geographers, physicists, engineers, ecologists etc.
  • A WG integrates a dynamic research field into the “traditional grassland community” and invites young scientists to join EGF
  • WGs within EGF offer an ideal platform for networking, information, exchange, etc.
  • Europe is a central arena for collaborative research funding
  • EGF generally seeks to connect research and application

How to become a member of the Working Group?

Simply download the EXCEL file below, fill in your details and send it to mwach@uni-kassel.de. Membership will only be valid after completing the form. You will then receive information on WG activities and further information from other members who like to use the WG network for Dissemination.