Monthly precipitation (bar) and air temperature (curve) of the experimental site in 2011 and 2013.

<p>Monthly precipitation (bar) and air temperature (curve) of the experimental site in 2011 and 2013.</p

Leaf area index comparisons of alfalfa under monoculture and intercropping (A) and at different flowering stages (B).

<p>Significant differences between different alfalfa flowering stages are indicated by lower case letters (<i>P</i> <0.05). The other symbols are the same as for <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0110556#pone-0110556-g002" target="_blank">Figure 2</a> and <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0110556#pone-0110556-g004" target="_blank">4</a>.</p

Comparisons of total yield and OVPUA of different planting patterns.

<p>MME  =  monoculture maize in even rows, MMW  =  monoculture maize in alternating wide and narrow rows, MA  =  alfalfa monoculture, IMA1  =  maize intercropped with one row of alfalfa in the wide rows, IMA2  =  maize intercropped with two rows of alfalfa in the wide rows. Values in the parentheses are yields based on the whole of the intercropping area, including the areas occupied by both maize and alfalfa, and are equal to the yields of maize or alfalfa divided by their respective area proportion. The intercropping area proportions of maize and alfalfa were respectively 76.9% and 23.1% in the IMA1 treatment, while the intercropping area ratios occupied by alfalfa and maize were 53.8% and 46.2% in the IMA2 treatment. Different letters in the same column following the values indicate significant difference between different cropping patterns, and * denotes significant difference between years (<i>P</i> <0.05). Value  =  mean ± S.</p><p>Comparisons of total yield and OVPUA of different planting patterns.</p

Leaf area index comparisons of maize at the harvest stage under monoculture and intercropping.

<p>Significant differences between different cropping patterns are indicated by lower case letters (<i>P</i> <0.05). The other symbols are the same as for <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0110556#pone-0110556-g002" target="_blank">Figure 2</a>.</p

Results of repeated measures ANOVA on maize leaf area index (LAI) and yield, alfalfa yield and comprehensive benefit analysis of total yield and output value per unit area (OVPUA), with cropping pattern (CP) as the independent variable and year (Y) as the repeated measure.

<p>Df  =  degrees of freedom, ns  =  no significant difference, * <i>p</i> <0.05, ** <i>p</i> <0.01</p><p>Results of repeated measures ANOVA on maize leaf area index (LAI) and yield, alfalfa yield and comprehensive benefit analysis of total yield and output value per unit area (OVPUA), with cropping pattern (CP) as the independent variable and year (Y) as the repeated measure.</p

Soil water content comparisons of different cropping patterns in 2011 (A) and 2013 (B).

<p>The inset figures show the average soil water content in different planting patterns during the vegetation period. SWC  =  soil water content. The other symbols are the same as for <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0110556#pone-0110556-g002" target="_blank">Figure 2</a>.</p

Giese et al 2013_suppl_meteorological data IMGERS 2004-2006

daily meteorological data of the experimental years 2004 -200

Giese et al 2013_suppl_image_dung heap

image of a dung heap used for cooking and heating during winte

Giese et al 2013_suppl_biomass

biomass data of the experimental sites from 2004 - 200

Giese et al 2013_suppl_image_Inner Mongolia grassland Xilin River

panorama image of the Xilingole grassland near the experimental site