Introduction

Abstract

Despite widespread interest in alpine ecology, we have little information on anatomy of high-mountain plants. Most studies are based on data from European mountains (Schweingruber et al. 2011; Schweingruber and Büntgen 2013), while the largest and highest mountainous areas are located in Asia. On the Tibetan Plateau and the neighboring Himalayan crests, which cover an area almost 13 times larger than the area of the European Alps, extensive areas of alpine climate and vegetation host a unique and species-rich flora (Miehe et al. 2011) and serve as grazing land for yaks, wild sheep and other mammals, while many plant species are utilised by local people for medicinal purposes. No comprehensive monography concerning both ecology and anatomy of alpine plants is available from these areas. However, about 70% of all glaciers, representing the only reliable water reservoir for local people and their livelihoods, are presently retreating (Xu et al. 2009; Schmidt and Nüsser 2017), indicating that a considerable environmental change in this high altitude region is underway.