Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yi Wang, Jian Sun, Wen He, Chongchong Ye, Biying Liu, Youchao Chen, Tao Zeng, Shaoxiu Ma, Xiaoyu Gan, Chiyuan Miao, Huakun Zhou, Atsushi Tsunekawa
Summary: This study investigates the dominant factors of alpine vegetation distribution and predicts the future changes of vegetation boundary using climate models. The results show that precipitation plays a significant role in the distribution of alpine grasslands and reveal the migration of the grassland ecosystem under different climate change scenarios.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yi Wang, Jian Sun, Tien Ming Lee
Summary: This study used a linear piecewise quantile regression to explore the effect of altitude on ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) and investigated the relationship between ecosystem functions and environmental factors along the altitudinal gradient. The results showed a changepoint in EMF at an altitude of approximately 3900 m, with distinct patterns in low- and high-altitude regions. Water availability primarily influenced the EMF in low-altitude areas, while water-heat and phenological conditions regulated the EMF in high-altitude areas.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Songbo Qu, Jiaoneng Xu-Ri, Jiaoneng Yu, Almaz Borjigidai
Summary: This study conducted a two-year observation in an alpine forest ecosystem in Southeast Tibet and found that the CH4 uptake rate was higher than previous estimations. Soil temperature and moisture were important factors affecting CH4 consumption. The findings highlight the crucial role of alpine forest CH4 uptake in maintaining the CH4 balance of the Tibetan Plateau.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Aihua Hao, Hanchen Duan, Xufeng Wang, Quangang You, Fei Peng, Heqiang Du, Guohui Zhao, Feiyao Liu, Chengyang Li, Chimin Lai, Xian Xue
Summary: This study analyzed vegetation trends of alpine meadow and alpine steppe on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, investigating the impacts of climate change and anthropogenic disturbances. The results revealed significant influences of factors such as precipitation, solar radiation, and human footprint on vegetation greenness or browning in different time frames. Over the past decades, vegetation dynamics in alpine meadow and alpine steppe ecosystems have been shaped by a combination of complex factors.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jiaoneng Yu, Songbo Xu-Ri, Songbo Qu, Fengzi Li, Da Wei, Almaz Borjigidai
Summary: Nitrogen deposition has the potential to alleviate degradation of alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau caused by nitrogen limitation. A six-year fertilization experiment was conducted in the Namco alpine steppe, along with 89 additional experiments worldwide. Results showed that nitrogen addition promoted nitrogen retention in plants with a decreasing trend at the critical nitrogen rate (N-cr). The maximum nitrogen retention capacity (MNRC) varied globally, ranging from 0.35 to 42.59 g N m(-2) yr(-1) and accounting for approximately 39% of N-cr. Tibetan alpine grasslands had a low average MNRC (2.24 g N m(-2) yr(-1)), with regional differences between the western TP (0.80 g N m(-2) yr(-1)) and the eastern TP (4.10 g N m(-2) yr(-1)). It was estimated that Tibetan alpine grasslands could retain 0.33-1.21 Tg N yr(-1) (0.22-0.79 g N m(-2) yr(-1)) and gain 5.65-20.11 Tg C yr(-1) (3.67-13.06 g C m(-2) yr(-1)) under current nitrogen deposition levels.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuan Tian, Gang Fu
Summary: Quantifying plant species alpha-diversity in grasslands at different scales is crucial for studying the impact of global change on biodiversity and protecting biodiversity under global change. This study used multiple methods to quantify the alpha-diversity, and found that random forest models performed the best. The models can accurately predict alpha-diversity based on normalized difference vegetation index and climate data, providing a useful tool for studying plant alpha-diversity in alpine grassland ecosystems.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiahe Zheng, Yangjian Zhang, Xuhui Wang, Juntao Zhu, Guang Zhao, Zhoutao Zheng, Jian Tao, Yu Zhang, Ji Li
Summary: Using CO2-eddy-covariance-flux data from 1982 to 2018 at 18 sites on the Tibetan Plateau grassland, this study analyzed the spatial-temporal patterns of net ecosystem productivity (NEP) and its driving factors. The results showed that the grassland acted as a carbon sink of 26.2 Tg C yr(-1) and the NEP gradually increased from the northwest to the southeast. Moisture conditions and precipitation were proven to be the main driving factors in the southeastern areas, while temperature predominantly controlled the carbon flux in the northwest.
Article
Agronomy
Yongwen Liu, Jinzhi Ding, Peilin Li, Rongrong Zhang, Jingxue Zhao, Tsechoe Dorji
Summary: The study investigates the change in elevation-dependent climate warming and its impact on the peak photosynthesis timing (DOYPmax) of plants on the Tibetan Plateau. It reveals that the elevational gradient in DOYPmax has decreased due to the direct and indirect effects of climate change. This change in plant growth seasonality could have significant implications for alpine ecosystems and plant-animal interactions along elevation gradients.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yan Li, Jie Gong, Yunxia Zhang
Summary: This study explored the relationship between topographic factors and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in the Southwestern Tibetan Plateau (SWTP) over the past 20 years. The results showed that elevation and slope were the main factors influencing NDVI, while aspect had a smaller impact. Significant variations in NDVI were found between 4500 m to 5500 m elevation and slopes ranging from 0 degrees to 15 degrees. The study highlights the importance of topography, particularly slope and aspect, for vegetation in alpine settings.
Article
Ecology
Litong Chen, Lin Jiang, Xin Jing, Jiuluan Wang, Yu Shi, Haiyan Chu, Jin-Sheng He
Summary: Both above- and belowground biodiversity are positively associated with ecosystem stability. Belowground biodiversity not only affects ecosystem stability directly, but also influences it indirectly through plant diversity and soil fertility.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Yu Shen, Guohua Liu, Lingfan Wan, Hao Cheng, Yuqing Liu, Shishuai Yang, Boyan Li, Xukun Su
Summary: This study utilizes satellite observations to monitor vegetation dynamics and detect significant changes in nature reserves on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The results show a significant increase in vegetation and a reduction in disturbance frequency within these protected areas. Furthermore, newer reserves are more vulnerable to disturbances, highlighting the need for stricter management to enhance vegetation.
ECOSYSTEM HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Chenli Liu, Wenlong Li, Wenying Wang, Huakun Zhou, Tiangang Liang, Fujiang Hou, Jing Xu, Pengfei Xue
Summary: Research using the Google Earth Engine analyzed the spatiotemporal vegetation variation in Gannan Prefecture on the Tibetan Plateau, showing fluctuating growth trends in vegetation index, driven primarily by annual mean temperature, soil type, and elevation.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hanchen Duan, Xia Xue, Tao Wang, Wenping Kang, Jie Liao, Shulin Liu
Summary: The study reveals significant differences in alpine meadow, alpine steppe, and overall vegetation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in terms of growing season length, NDVI growth trends, vegetation improvement, and degradation. The responses to climatic factors exhibit significant spatial heterogeneity across the plateau.
Article
Plant Sciences
Zhenchao Zhang, Yiran Zhao, Hao Lin, Yanpeng Li, Jinmin Fu, Yingxin Wang, Juan Sun, Yanhua Zhao
Summary: This meta-analysis investigated the effects of grazing intensity on plant characteristics and soil properties in alpine grasslands of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau based on 52 peer-reviewed literatures. The results demonstrated that moderate grazing can increase plant richness and diversity, while heavy grazing can lead to grassland degradation. Therefore, moderate grazing is a sustainable agricultural practice on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Jingxue Zhao, Lihua Tian, Haixia Wei, Tao Zhang, Yanfu Bai, Ruicheng Li, Yanhong Tang
Summary: The study showed that vegetation cover, species richness, plant biomass, soil moisture, soil organic carbon, and other factors were significantly lower in bare grounds created by pika burrowing compared to vegetated grounds. This burrowing also affected soil temperature and inorganic nitrogen levels, leading to a decrease in ecosystem respiration in the bare grounds.
