Research
1. Research History
- Pre-1950s: preliminary research and surveys of grassland vegetation and plant species conducted mostly by Russians, Japanese and Western Europeans
- 1950–1975: large-scale exploration and surveys of vegetation, soils and topography as part of the natural resource inventory programs conducted by various regional and national institutions mainly led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences
- 1976–1995: establishment of field stations for long-term ecological monitoring and studies of ecosystem processes
- 1996–present: comprehensive studies of community dynamics and ecosystem function, integrating multi-scale and multidisciplinary approaches and experimental manipulations, with a scientific focus more towards issues concerning ecosystem stability and management, biodiversity and global change.
2. Research networks
3. Research stations
- Inner Mongolian Grassland Ecosystem Research Station (IMGERS, established 1979) administered by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), it was recently selected as one of 36 national field monitoring and scientific research stations.
- Ordos Sandland Ecological Station (established in 1991; also a member of CERN),
- Duolun Restoration Ecology Research and Demonstration Station (established in 2000),
- Hunshandak Sandland Ecological Station (established in 2002)
- East Ujumchin Grassland Ecosystem Management Research Station (established in 2005).
- Field Observation and Research Station of Steppe Ecosystems (Ministry of Education), Inner Mongolia University (established in 2009)
- Haibei Research Station of Alpine Meadow Ecosystem (established in 1976)
- Research Station of Alpine Meadow and Wetland Ecosystems, Lanzhou University
- The Tianzhu Alpine Grassland Experimental Station (established in 1956)
- Damxung Alpine Meadow Ecosystem Experimental Station, Institute of Geographic Science and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
- Several field stations on Tibetan Plateau run by the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences