Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Coupled effect of climate change and human activities on the restoration/degradation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau grassland

  • Research Articles
  • Published:
Journal of Geographical Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Climate change (CC) and human activities (HA) are the main reasons for the restoration/degradation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) grassland. Many related studies have been conducted thus far, but the impact mechanism of CC coupled with HA on QTP remains unclear. We summarized the two main coupling factors in recent years (specifically, in the past five years) and obtained the following conclusions. (1) CC and HA have positive and negative effects on the QTP grassland ecosystem. CC primarily affects grassland ecology through temperature, humidification, and extreme climate, and HA mainly affects ecosystems through primary, secondary, and tertiary industries and restoration measures. (2) CC coupled with HA affects soil, plants, animals, and fungi/microbes. CC makes the snow line rise by increasing the temperature, which expands the zone for HA. CC also restricts HA through hydrological changes, extreme climate, and outbreak of pikas and pests. Simultaneously, measures are implemented through HA to control and adapt to CC. Hence, the grassland ecosystem is comprehensively influenced by CC and HA. (3) The grassland ecosystem dynamically adapts to the disturbance caused by CC and HA by changing its physiological characteristics, distribution range, diet structure, community structure, and physical state. Simultaneously, it responds to environmental changes through desertification, poisonous weeds, rodent outbreak, release of harmful gases, and other means. This work can be used as a reference for the sustainable development of the QTP grassland.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adam P S M, Enrique R V, Hoori A et al., 2020. Woody plant encroachment has a larger impact than climate change on dry land water budgets. Scientific Reports, 10(1): 8112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bai L, Shi C X, Shi Q D et al., 2019. Change in the spatiotemporal pattern of snowfall during the cold season under climate change in a snow-dominated region of China. International Journal of Climatology, 39(15): 5702–5719.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cai H Y, Yang X H, Xu X L, 2015. Human-induced grassland degradation/restoration in the central Tibetan Plateau: The effects of ecological protection and restoration projects. Ecological Engineering, 83: 112–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cao H, Zhao X Q, Wang S P et al., 2015. Grazing intensifies degradation of a Tibetan Plateau alpine meadow through plant-pest interaction. Ecology and Evolution, 5(12): 2478–2486.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cao H, Zhu W Y, Zhao X Q, 2016. Effects of warming and grazing on growth and development of grassland caterpillar (Gynaephora menyuanensis). Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 25(1): 268–272. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Cao J, Holden N M, Lü X T et al., 2011. The effect of grazing management on plant species richness on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Grass and Forage Science, 66(3): 333–336.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cao J J, Adamowski J F, Deo R C et al., 2019. Grassland degradation on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: Reevaluation of causative factors. Rangeland Ecology and Management, 72(6): 988–995.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cao J J, Holden N M, Adamowski J F et al., 2018a. Can individual land ownership reduce grassland degradation and favor socioeconomic sustainability on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau? Environmental Science and Policy, 89: 192–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cao J J, Wang X Y, Li M T et al., 2018b. Effects of grassland management on soil nutrients and their spatial distribution on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 29(6): 1839–1845. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Cao J J, Xu X Y, Deo R C et al., 2018c. Multi-household grazing management pattern maintains better soil fertility. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 38(1): 6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cao W, Sheng Y, Wu J C et al., 2017. Spatial variability and its main controlling factors of the permafrost soil-moisture on the northern-slope of Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Journal of Mountain Science, 14(12): 2406–2419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Che R X, Deng Y C, Wang W J et al., 2018. Long-term warming rather than grazing significantly changed total and active soil procaryotic community structures. Geoderma, 316: 1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen H, Zhu Q, Peng C H et al., 2013. The impacts of climate change and human activities on biogeochemical cycles on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Global Change Biology, 19(10): 2940–2955.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen H Y, Zhu T, 2015. The dilemma of property rights and indigenous institutional arrangements for common resources governance in China. Land Use Policy, 42: 800–805.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen J, Zhou X H, Wang J F et al., 2016a. Grazing exclusion reduced soil respiration but increased its temperature sensitivity in a meadow grassland on the Tibetan Plateau. Ecology and Evolution, 6(3): 675–687.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen J J, 2020. Research on change of fractional vegetation cover of alpine grassland and its environmental impact factors of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Acta Geodaetica et Cartographica Sinica, 49(4): 533. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen K L, Yu X C, Yao B Q et al., 2016b. Spatial distribution of Menyuan grassland caterpillars on alpine meadows under different grazing intensities. Acta Agrestia Sinica, 24(1): 191–197. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen Q Y, Niu B, Hu Y L et al., 2020a. Warming and increased precipitation indirectly affect the composition and turnover of labile-fraction soil organic matter by directly affecting vegetation and microorganisms. Science of the Total Environment, 714: 136787.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen T D, Jiao J Y, Wang H L et al., 2020b. Progress in research on soil erosion in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Acta Pedologica Sinica, 57(3): 547–564. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen X P, Wang G X, Huang K W et al., 2017. The effect of nitrogen deposition rather than warming on carbon flux in alpine meadows depends on precipitation variations. Ecological Engineering, 107: 183–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen X Q, An S, Inouye D W et al., 2015. Temperature and snowfall trigger alpine vegetation green-up on the world’s roof. Global Change Biology, 21(10): 3635–3646.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chi X X, Yin Z E, Wang X et al., 2016. Spatiotemporal variations of precipitation extremes of China during the past 50 years (1960-2009). Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 124(3/4): 555–564.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chu H, Zhang C P, Dong Q M et al., 2019. The effect of grazing intensity and season on the soil seed bank and its relation with above-ground vegetation on the alpine steppe. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 285: 106622.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cong N, Shen M G, Yang W et al., 2017. Varying responses of vegetation activity to climate changes on the Tibetan Plateau grassland. International Journal of Biometeorology, 61(8): 1433–1444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cui S, Zhu X, Wang S et al., 2014. Effects of seasonal grazing on soil respiration in alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau. Soil Use and Management, 30(3): 435–443.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cui Y N, Li S W, Yu C Q et al., 2017. Effects of award-allowance payment policy for natural grassland conservation on income of farmer and herdsman families in Tibet. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 26(3): 22–32. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Danjiu L B, 2019. The negative effects of cordyceps sinensis excavation and development countermeasures. Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, (13): 91–92. (in Chinese)

  • Ding J X, Chen K L, Cui H et al., 2019a. Disturbance of Ochotona curzoniae on soil respiration in alpine marsh meadow plateau. Ecological Science, 38(6): 1–7. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ding X L, Chen S Y, Zhang B et al., 2019b. Warming increases microbial residue contribution to soil organic carbon in an alpine meadow. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 135: 13–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding X T, Wang J H, 2018. Effects of the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway on municipal solid waste management generation in Lhasa. Waste Management and Research, 36(3): 300–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doetterl S, Stevens A, Six J et al., 2015. Soil carbon storage controlled by interactions between geochemistry and climate. Nature Geoscience, 8(10): 780–783.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dong Q M, Zhao X Q, Wu G L et al., 2013. A review of formation mechanism and restoration measures of “black-soil-type” degraded grassland in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Environmental Earth Sciences, 70(5): 2359–2370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dong S K, Shang Z H, Gao J X et al., 2020. Enhancing sustainability of grassland ecosystems through ecological restoration and grazing management in an era of climate change on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 287: 106684.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dong S K, Sherman R, 2015. Enhancing the resilience of coupled human and natural systems of alpine rangelands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Rangeland Journal, 37(1): i–iii.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dorji T, Hopping K A, Wang S et al., 2018. Grazing and spring snow counteract the effects of warming on an alpine plant community in Tibet through effects on the dominant species. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 263: 188–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fan C F, 2016. Economic formation and cultural changes of Cordyceps sinensis in Qinghai-Tibet Area. Folklore Studies, (1): 118–128. (in Chinese)

  • Fassnacht F E, Li L, Fritz A, 2015. Mapping degraded grassland on the eastern Tibetan Plateau with multi-temporal Landsat 8 data: Where do the severely degraded areas occur? International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 42: 115–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fayiah M, Dong S K, Khomera S W et al., 2020. Status and challenges of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau’s grasslands: An analysis of causes, mitigation measures, and way forward. Sustainability, 12(3): 1099.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu G, Zhang X Z, Zhang Y J et al., 2013. Experimental warming does not enhance gross primary production and above-ground biomass in the alpine meadow of Tibet. Journal of Applied Remote Sensing, 7(1): 073505.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu M D, Tian J L, Ren Y H et al., 2019. Functional zoning and space management of Three-River-Source National Park. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 29(12): 2069–2084.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao J B, Jiao K W, Wu S H, 2019. Investigating the spatially heterogeneous relationships between climate factors and NDVI in China during 1982 to 2013. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 29(10): 1597–1609.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gong J, Li J Y, Yang J X et al., 2017. Land use and land cover change in the Qinghai Lake region of the Tibetan Plateau and its impact on ecosystem services. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(7): 818.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gu X Y, Zhou X Q, Bu X L et al., 2019. Soil extractable organic C and N contents, methanotrophic activity under warming and degradation in a Tibetan alpine meadow. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 278: 6–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guan S, An N, Zong N et al., 2018. Climate warming impacts on soil organic carbon fractions and aggregate stability in a Tibetan alpine meadow. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 116: 224–236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo Bing, Zang W Q, Yang F et al., 2020a. Spatial and temporal change patterns of net primary productivity and its response to climate change in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China from 2000 to 2015. Journal of Arid Land, 12(1): 1–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo L, Chen J, Luedeling E et al., 2018a. Early-spring soil warming partially offsets the enhancement of alpine grassland aboveground productivity induced by warmer growing seasons on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Plant and Soil, 425(1/2): 177–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo N, Wang A D, Degen A A et al., 2018b. Grazing exclusion increases soil CO2 emission during the growing season in alpine meadows on the Tibetan Plateau. Atmospheric Environment, 174: 92–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo X W, Dai L C, Li Q et al., 2020b. Light grazing significantly reduces soil water storage in alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Sustainability, 12(6): 2523.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han H B, Zhou B Y, Yan Y Q et al., 2019. Analysis of vegetation coverage and its driving factors over Tibetan Plateau from 2000 to 2018. Acta Agrestia Sinica, 27(6): 1651–1658. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Han Z, Song W, Deng X Z, 2016. Responses of ecosystem service to land use change in Qinghai Province. Energies, 9(4): 303.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hao A H, Xue X, Peng F et al., 2020. Different vegetation and soil degradation characteristics of a typical grassland in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 40(3): 964–675. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris R B, 2010. Rangeland degradation on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: A review of the evidence of its magnitude and causes. Journal of Arid Environments, 74(1): 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harris R B, Samberg L H, Yeh E T et al., 2016. Rangeland responses to pastoralists’ grazing management on a Tibetan steppe grassland, Qinghai Province, China. Rangeland Journal, 38(1): 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He S Y, Richards K, 2017. Kobresia meadow degradation and its impact on water status. Ecohydrology, 10(6): e1844.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He S Y, Richards K, Zhao Z Q, 2016. Climate extremes in the Kobresia meadow area of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, 1961–2008. Environmental Earth Sciences, 75(1): 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoham R W, Remias D, 2020. Snow and glacial algae: A review. Journal of Phycology, 56(2): 264–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hopping K A, Knapp A K, Dorji T et al., 2018a. Warming and land use change concurrently erode ecosystem services in Tibet. Global Change Biology, 24(11): 5534–5548.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hopping K A, Yangzong C, Klein J A, 2016. Local knowledge production, transmission, and the importance of village leaders in a network of Tibetan pastoralists coping with environmental change. Ecology and Society, 21(1): 25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hopping K A, Yeh E T, Gaerrang et al., 2018b. Linking people, pixels, and pastures: A multi-method, interdisciplinary investigation of how range land management affects vegetation on the Tibetan Plateau. Applied Geography, 94: 147–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu X, Li X Y, Li Z C et al., 2020. 3-D soil macropore networks derived from X-ray tomography in an alpine meadow disturbed by plateau pikas in the Qinghai Lake watershed, north-eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 20(4): 2181–2191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu Y G, Zhang Z H, Wang Q et al., 2017. Variations of N2O fluxes in response to warming and cooling in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau. Climatic Change, 143(1/2): 129–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang L, Cao W, Xu X L et al., 2017. The ecological effects of ecological security barrier protection and construction project in Tibet Plateau. Journal of Natural Resources, 33(3): 398–411. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jiang C, Li D Q, Gao Y N et al., 2017a. Impact of climate variability and anthropogenic activity on streamflow in the Three Rivers Headwater region, Tibetan Plateau, China. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 129(1/2): 667–681.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang C, Zhang L B, 2016. Effect of ecological restoration and climate change on ecosystems: A case study in the Three-Rivers headwater region, China. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 188(6): 382.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang F, Li G Y, Qin W et al., 2019. Setting priority conservation areas of wild Tibetan gazelle (Procapra picticaudata) in China’s first national park. Global Ecology and Conservation, 20: e00725.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang L L, Wang S P, Zhe P et al., 2017b. Effects of grazing on the acquisition of nitrogen by plants and microorganisms in an alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau. Plant and Soil, 416(1/2): 297–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ke L H, Ding X, Li W K et al., 2017. Remote sensing of glacier change in the central Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the relationship with changing climate. Remote Sensing, 9(2): 114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Le C, Ikazaki K, Siriguleng et al., 2014. Grassland degradation caused by tourism activities in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, China. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 18(1): 012137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lei L P, Zeng Z C, Zhang B, 2012. Method for detecting snow lines from MODIS data and assessment of changes in the Nianqingtanglha Mountains of the Tibet Plateau. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, 5(3): 769–776.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leng R, Yuan Q Z, Wang Y S et al., 2020. Carbon balance of grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau under future climate change: A review. Sustainability, 12(2): 533.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li F, Wu Z, Xu C et al., 2014. The spatial distribution of cordyceps resources suitability in the source region of three rivers. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 34(5): 1318–1325. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Li G R, Li X L, Chen W T et al., 2020. Effects of degradation severity on the physical, chemical and mechanical properties of topsoil in alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, west China. Catena, 187: 104370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li J C, Wang Y, Zhang L S et al., 2019a. Aeolian desertification in China’s northeastern Tibetan Plateau: Understanding the present through the past. Catena, 172: 764–769.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li J R, Liu Z H, 2017. High-cold meadow plants respond to long-term warming. Qinghai Prataculture, 26(3): 18–24. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Li L H, Zhang Y L, Wu J S et al., 2019b. Increasing sensitivity of alpine grasslands to climate variability along an elevational gradient on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Science of the Total Environment, 678: 21–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li S C, Wang Z F, Zhang Y L, 2017. Crop cover reconstruction and its effects on sediment retention in the Tibetan Plateau for 1900–2000. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 27(7): 786–800.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li W, Wang J L, Zhang X J et al., 2018a. Effect of degradation and rebuilding of artificial grasslands on soil respiration and carbon and nitrogen pools on an alpine meadow of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Ecological Engineering, 111: 134–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li X L, Perry G LW, Brierley G J, 2018b. A spatial simulation model to assess controls upon grassland degradation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. Applied Geography, 98: 166–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li X M, Peng Y L, Yue J, 2019c. Ecological management of degraded alpine pasture areas under the development of tourism industry. Pratacultural Science, 36(5): 1435–1444. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Li J J, Are K S et al., 2019d. Livestock grazing significantly accelerates soil erosion more than climate change in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Evidenced from 137Cs and 210Pbex measurements. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 285: 106643.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu B L, Guo K, Li C et al., 2020. Copper prospectively in Tibet, China: Based on the identification of geochemical anomalies. Ore Geology Reviews, 120: 102632.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu S B, Zamanian K, Schleuss P M et al., 2018. Degradation of Tibetan grasslands: Consequences for carbon and nutrient cycles. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 252: 93–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu F, Hu H F, Sun W J et al., 2018. Effects of national ecological restoration projects on carbon sequestration in China from 2001 to 2010. PNAS, 115(16): 4039–4044.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu Q S, Ning J C, Liang F Y et al., 2017a. Evaluating the effects of government policy and drought from 1984 to 2009 on rangeland in the Three Rivers Source Region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Sustainability, 9(6): 1033.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu X Y, Kelsey K C, Yan Y et al., 2017b. Effects of grazing on ecosystem structure and function of alpine grasslands in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: A synthesis. Ecosphere, 8(1): e01656.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luo L H, Duan Q T, Wang L X et al., 2020. Increased human pressures on the alpine ecosystem along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Regional Environmental Change, 20(1): 33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mao D H, Luo L, Wang Z M et al., 2015. Variations in net primary productivity and its relationships with warming climate in the permafrost zone of the Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 25(8): 967–977.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mccarthy M C, Enquist B J, 2007. Consistency between an allometric approach and optimal partitioning theory in global patterns of plant biomass allocation. Functional Ecology, 21(4): 713–720.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miehe G, Schleuss P M, Seeber E et al., 2019. The Kobresia pygmaea ecosystem of the Tibetan highlands: Origin, functioning and degradation of the world’s largest pastoral alpine ecosystem-Kobresia pastures of Tibet. Science of the Total Environment, 648: 754–771.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mo X G, 2020. Grassland productivity on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau since 1980. National Tibetan Plateau Data Center. doi: https://doi.org/10.11888/Ecolo.tpdc.270430.

  • Mu C C, Abbott B W, Zhao Q et al., 2017. Permafrost collapse shifts alpine tundra to a carbon source but reduces N2O and CH4 release on the northern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Geophysical Research Letters, 44(17): 8945–8952.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mu J P, Zeng Y L, Wu Q G et al., 2016. Traditional grazing regimes promote biodiversity and increase nectar production in Tibetan alpine meadows. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 233: 336–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan T, Zou X T, Liu Y J et al., 2017. Contributions of climatic and non-climatic drivers to grassland variations on the Tibetan Plateau. Ecological Engineering, 108: 307–317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qian D W, Yan C Z, Xiu L N et al., 2018. The impact of mining changes on surrounding lands and ecosystem service value in the southern slope of Qilian Mountains. Ecological Complexity, 36: 138–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qiao N, Xu X L, Cao G M et al., 2015. Land use change decreases soil carbon stocks in Tibetan grasslands. Plant and Soil, 395(1/2): 231–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu J, 2008. China: The third pole. Nature, 454: 393–396.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sangji Z X, 2015. Tibetan Buddhism’s customs of releasing and protecting lives and environmental protection concepts. The Voice of Dharma, (4): 18–23. (in Chinese)

  • Schuur E A G, McGuire A D, Schädel C et al., 2015. Climate change and the permafrost carbon feedback. Nature, 520(7546): 171–179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shang W, Zhao L, Wu X D et al., 2015. Soil organic matter fractions under different vegetation types in permafrost regions along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, north of Kunlun Mountains, China. Journal of Mountain Science, 12(4): 1010–1024.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shao Q Q, Cao W, Fan J W et al., 2017. Effects of an ecological conservation and restoration project in the Three-River Source region, China. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 27(2): 183–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen H, Dong S K, Li S et al., 2019. Grazing enhances plant photosynthetic capacity by altering soil nitrogen in alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 280: 161–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shrestha U B, Bawa K S, 2014. Economic contribution of Chinese caterpillar fungus to the livelihoods of mountain communities in Nepal. Biological Conservation, 177: 194–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Su X K, Wu Y, Dong S K et al., 2015. Effects of grassland degradation and re-vegetation on carbon and nitrogen storage in the soils of the Headwater Area Nature Reserve on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. Journal of Mountain Science, 12(3): 582–591.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun F, Chen W, Liu L et al., 2015. The density of active burrows of plateau pika in relation to biomass allocation in the alpine meadow ecosystems of the Tibetan Plateau. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 58: 257–264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun S W, Kang S C, Zhang Q G et al., 2020a. Study on mercury in the cryosphere of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its environmental significance. Chinese Journal of Nature, 42(5): 364–372. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun X M, Wang C Q, Dong L L et al., 2020b. Research on planting area and industrial development strategy of Tibetan medicine, China. Journal of Chinese Materia Medica, 45(11): 2708–2713. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tian F, Cheng Y X, Zhou G L et al., 2019. Relations of density of pika burrows with plant community structure and soil in alpine meadow on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Pratacultural Science, 36(4): 1094–1104. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Walt L V D, Cilliers S S, Kellner K et al., 2015. To what extent does urbanization affect fragmented grassland functioning? Journal of Environmental Management, 151: 517–530.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang D B, Ji C T, Lin H L, 2019a. A DNDC model evaluation of alpine meadow soil carbon response to climate change. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 28(12): 197–204. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Wang Y, Li S C et al., 2016a. Climate adaptation, institutional change, and sustainable livelihoods of herder communities in northern Tibet. Ecology and Society, 21(1): 5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang L, Yu H Y, Zhang Q et al., 2018a. Response of aboveground biomass of alpine grassland to climate changes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 28(12): 1953–1964.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang S J, Wei Y Q, Fang M, 2014. Integrated risk assessment of snow disaster in the Three Rivers Source Region, China. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 23(2): 108–116. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang S J, Zhou L Y, Wei Y Q, 2019b. Integrated risk assessment of snow disaster over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Geomatics, Natural Hazards and Risk, 10(1): 740–757.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang X M, Ma W Y, Lang L L et al., 2015. Controls on desertification during the early twenty-first century in the water tower region of China. Regional Environmental Change, 15(4): 735–746.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang X Y, Yi S H, Wu Q B et al., 2016b. The role of permafrost and soil water in distribution of alpine grassland and its NDVI dynamics on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Global and Planetary Change, 147: 40–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y X, Sun Y, Wang Z F et al., 2018b. Grazing management options for restoration of alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Ecosphere, 9(11): e02515.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Z Q, Zhang Y Z, Yang Y et al., 2016c. Quantitative assess the driving forces on the grassland degradation in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, in China. Ecological Informatics, 33: 32–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wen J, Qin R M, Zhang S X et al., 2020. Effects of long-term warming on the aboveground biomass and species diversity in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China. Journal of Arid Land, 12(2): 252–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu J S, Li M, Fiedler S et al., 2019. Impacts of grazing exclusion on productivity partitioning along regional plant diversity and climatic gradients in Tibetan alpine grasslands. Journal of Environmental Management, 231: 635–645.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu S S, Yao Z J, Huang H Q et al., 2012. Responses of glaciers and glacial lakes to climate variation between 1975 and 2005 in the Rongxer basin of Tibet, China and Nepal. Regional Environmental Change, 12(4): 887–898.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu X D, Zhao L, Hu G J et al., 2018. Permafrost and land cover as controlling factors for light fraction organic matter on the southern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Science of the Total Environment, 613: 1165–1174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xiong Q L, Xiao Y, Halmy M W A et al., 2019. Monitoring the impact of climate change and human activities on grassland vegetation dynamics in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China during 2000–2015. Journal of Arid Land, 11(5): 637–651.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu M, Xu M, Li R Q, 2019. Progress of several crucial aspects in the biological and ecological research on the Chinese caterpillar fungus, ophiocordyceps sinensis. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 39(5): 1853–1862. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu Y D, Li F, Xu C et al., 2015. Quantitative assessment of the ecological impact of Chinese Cordyceps collection in the typical production areas. Ecoscience, 22(2–4): 167–175.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yan J, Danjiu L B, Ci D et al., 2019. Thoughts on degradation and restoration of grassland in the producing area of cordyceps sinensis in Nagqu, Tibet. Hubei Journal of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, 40(4): 37–40. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang L, Liu M C, Min Q W, 2019. Natural disasters, public policies, family characteristics, or livelihood assets? The driving factors of farmers’ livelihood strategy choices in a nature reserve. Sustainability, 11(19): 5423.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang X Y, Lin L, Li Y et al., 2017. Effects of warming and altered precipitation on soil physical properties and carbon pools in a Tibetan alpine grassland. Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Pekinensis, 53(4): 765–774. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Yeh E T, Samberg L H, Gaerrang et al., 2017. Pastoralist decision-making on the Tibetan Plateau. Human Ecology, 45(3): 333–343.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • You Q G, Xue X, Peng F et al., 2017. Surface water and heat exchange comparison between alpine meadow and bare land in a permafrost region of the Tibetan Plateau. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 232: 48–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu C Y, Pang X P, Wang Q et al., 2017. Soil nutrient changes induced by the presence and intensity of plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) disturbances in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. Ecological Engineering, 106: 1–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu H Y, Luedeling E K, Xu J C et al., 2010. Winter and spring warming result in delayed spring phenology on the Tibetan Plateau. PNAS, 107(51): 22151–22156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan L M, Zhao L, Li R et al., 2020. Spatiotemporal characteristics of hydrothermal processes of the active layer on the central and northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Science of the Total Environment, 712: 136392.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan Q Z, Wu S H, Dai E F et al., 2017. NPP vulnerability of the potential vegetation of China to climate change in the past and future. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 27(2): 131–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeng C X, Wu J S, Zhang X, 2015. Effects of grazing on above- vs. below-ground biomass allocation of alpine grasslands on the northern Tibetan Plateau. PLOS ONE, 10(8): e0135173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang H, Shao X M, Zhang Y, 2015a. Which climate factors limit the radial growth of Qilian Juniper, the upper limit of the forest in the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau? Journal of Geographical Sciences, 25(10): 1173–1182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Q L, Yuan M L, 2013. Research status and prospect of grassland caterpillars (lepidoptera: lymantriidae). Pratacultural Science, 30(4): 638–646. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang R H, Su F G, Jiang Z J et al., 2015b. An overview of projected climate and environmental changes across the Tibetan Plateau in the 21st century. Chinese Science Bulletin, 60(32): 3036–3047. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang W J, Zhang F, Qi J G et al., 2017. Modeling impacts of climate change and grazing effects on plant biomass and soil organic carbon in the Qinghai-Tibetan grasslands. Biogeosciences, 14(23): 5455–5470.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang X Z, Yang Y P, Piao S L et al., 2015c. Ecological change in the Tibetan Plateau. Chinese Science Bulletin, 60(32): 3048–3056. (in Chinese)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Dong S K, Gao Q Z et al., 2016a. Climate change and human activities altered the diversity and composition of soil microbial community in alpine grasslands of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Science of the Total Environment, 562: 353–363.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Gao Q Z, Dong S K et al., 2015d. Effects of grazing and climate warming on plant diversity, productivity and living state in the alpine rangelands and cultivated grasslands of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Rangeland Journal, 37(1): 57–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y L, Hu Z J, Qi W et al., 2016b. Analysis of protection effectiveness of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau nature reserves based on NPP data and sample area comparison method. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 26(1): 27–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y L, Qi W, Zhou C P et al., 2014. Spatial and temporal variability in the net primary production of alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 24(2): 269–287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao J, Chen Y, Han Y, 1995. Physical Geography of China. Beijing: Higher Education Press. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao X H, Deng H Z, Wang W K et al., 2017. Impact of naturally leaking carbon dioxide on soil properties and ecosystems in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Scientific Reports, 7: 3001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao X Q, Zhao L, Xu T W et al., 2020. The plateau pika has multiple benefits for alpine grassland ecosystem in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Ecosystem Health and Sustainability, 6(1): 1463–1465.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng Z T, Zhu W Q, Zhang Y J, 2020. Seasonally and spatially varied controls of climatic factors on net primary productivity in alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau. Global Ecology and Conservation, 21: e00814.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zong N, Chai X, Shi P L et al., 2016. Responses of plant community structure and species composition to warming and N addition in an alpine meadow, northern Tibetan Plateau, China. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 27(12): 3739–3748.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geography and Resources Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610101, China

    Qin Yuan, Quanzhi Yuan & Ping Ren

  2. Sustainable Development Research Center of Resources and Environment of Western Sichuan, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610066, China

    Qin Yuan & Quanzhi Yuan

  3. Key Laboratory of Land Resources Evaluation and Monitoring in Southwest, Ministry of Education, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610066, China

    Ping Ren

Authors
  1. Qin Yuan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Quanzhi Yuan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ping Ren
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Quanzhi Yuan.

Additional information

Foundation: National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.41930651, No.41701100; Application Foundation Project of Sichuan Science and Technology Department, No.2017JY0155

Author: Yuan Qin (1989-), Master Candidate, specialized in physical geography.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yuan, Q., Yuan, Q. & Ren, P. Coupled effect of climate change and human activities on the restoration/degradation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau grassland. J. Geogr. Sci. 31, 1299–1327 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-021-1899-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-021-1899-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation