Ground-Based Atmospheric CO_(2),CH_(4),and CO Column Measurements at Golmud in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and Comparisons with TROPOMI/S5P Satellite Observations

Measurements of carbon dioxide(CO_(2)),methane(CH_(4)),and carbon monoxide(CO)are of great importance in the Qinghai-Tibetan region,as it is the highest and largest plateau in the world affecting global weather and climate systems.In this study,for the first time,we present CO_(2),CH_(4),and CO column measurements carried out by a Bruker EM27/SUN Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer(FTIR)at Golmud(36.42°E,94.91°N,2808 m)in August 2021.The mean and standard deviation of the column-average dry-air mixing ratio of CO_(2),CH_(4),and CO(XCO_(2),XCH_(4),and XCO)are 409.3±0.4 ppm,1905.5±19.4 ppb,and 103.1±7.7 ppb,respectively.The differences between the FTIR co-located TROPOMI/S5P satellite measurements at Golmud are 0.68±0.64%(13.1±12.2 ppb)for XCH_(4) and 9.81±3.48%(–10.7±3.8 ppb)for XCO,which are within their retrieval uncertainties.High correlations for both XCH_(4) and XCO are observed between the FTIR and S5P satellite measurements.Using the FLEXPART model and satellite measurements,we find that enhanced CH_(4) and CO columns in Golmud are affected by anthropogenic emissions transported from North India.This study provides an insight into the variations of the CO_(2),CH_(4),and CO columns in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Spatiotemporal variation of ecological environment quality and extreme climate drivers on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Protecting the ecological security of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)is of great importance for global ecology and climate.Over the past few decades,climate extremes have posed a significant challenge to the ecological environment of the QTP.However,there are few studies that explored the effects of climate extremes on ecological environment quality of the QTP,and few researchers have made quantitative analysis.Hereby,this paper proposed the Ecological Environmental Quality Index(EEQI)for analyzing the spatial and temporal variation of ecological environment quality on the QTP from 2000 to 2020,and explored the effects of climate extremes on EEQI based on Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression(GTWR)model.The results showed that the ecological environment quality in QTP was poor in the west,but good in the east.Between 2000 and 2020,the area of EEQI variation was large(34.61%of the total area),but the intensity of EEQI variation was relatively low and occurred mainly by a slightly increasing level(EEQI change range of 0.05-0.1).The overall ecological environment quality of the QTP exhibited spatial and temporal fluctuations,which may be attributed to climate extremes.Significant spatial heterogeneity was observed in the effects of the climate extremes on ecological environment quality.Specifically,the effects of daily temperature range(DTR),number of frost days(FD0),maximum 5-day precipitation(RX5day),and moderate precipitation days(R10)on ecological environment quality were positive in most regions.Furthermore,there were significant temporal differences in the effects of consecutive dry days(CDD),consecutive wet days(CWD),R10,and FD0 on ecological environment quality.These differences may be attributed to variances in ecological environment quality,climate extremes,and vegetation types across different regions.In conclusion,the impact of climate extremes on ecological environment quality exhibits complex patterns.These findings will assist managers in identifying changes in the ecological environment quality of the QTP and addressing the effects of climate extremes.

The particular species determining spatial heterogeneity in shady and terrace on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,China

Spatial patterns of plant species and patchy community are important properties in grasslands.However,research regarding spatial patterns of formed patches with various species has not fully advanced until now.Our purpose is to clarify differences in spatial pattern formed by species and community constructed under shady and terrace habitats.The three common Kobresia-Carex patches(Size 1,0.6–0.9 m^(2);Size 2,3.0–3.8 m^(2) and Size 3,6.5–8.8 m^(2))were selected in shady and terrace on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,and corresponding quadrats of 1m1m,2m2m and 3m3m were placed for S1,S2 and S3 patches,respectively.The surveyed quadrats were divided into 20cm20cm large cells(L-cells),and further divided into four 10cm10cm small cells(S-cells).We used the binary occurrence system(presence/absence data)to record occurrences of all species in S-cells.The analysis shows that the power law model was well able to determine the spatial distribution pattern of species or patchy community in shady and terrace.All species and patches show aggregated distribution in shady and terrace habitats.In the shady habitat,the relative spatial heterogeneity(ε)of individual plant species was lowest at presence frequency(P)of 0.1–0.3,whereas in the terrace habitatεwas lowest at P<0.1,andεincreased monotonically with increasing P.For most dominant species,P andεvalues were higher in terrace than those in shady.We concluded that the dominant species largely determine spatial heterogeneity of the Kobresia-Carex patches,while companion and rare species have weak influence on the community-level heterogeneity in shady and terrace habitats.

Evapotranspiration and Its Energy Exchange in Alpine Meadow Ecosystem on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

To understand the water and energy exchange on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, we explored the characteristics of evapotranspiration （ET） and energy fluxes from 2002 to 2005 over a Kobresia meadow ecosystem using the eddy covariance method. The ratio of annual ET to precipitation （P） of meadow ecosystem was about 60%, but varied greatly with the change of season from summer to winter. The annual ET/P in meadow was lower than that in shrub, steppe and wetland ecosystems of this plateau. The incident solar radiation （Rs） received by the meadow was obviously higher than that of lowland in the same latitude; however the ratio of net radiation （Rn） to Rs with average annual value of 0.44 was significantly lower than that in the same latitude. The average annual ET was about 390 mm for 2002-2005, of which more than 80% occurred in growing season from May to September. The energy consumed on the ET was about 44% of net radiation in growing season, which was lower than that of shrub, steppe and wetland on this plateau. This study demonstrates that the Kobresia meadow may prevent the excessive water loss through evapotranspiration from the ecosystem into the atmosphere in comparison to the shrub, steppe and wetland ecosystems of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Effects of warming and clipping on plant and soil properties of an alpine meadow in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China

Climate warming and livestock grazing are known to have great influences on alpine ecosystems like those of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau （QTP） in China. However, it is lacking of studies on the effects of warming and grazing on plant and soil properties in these alpine ecosystems. In this study, we reported the related research from manipulative experiment in 2010-2012 in the QTP. The aim of this study was to investigate the individual and combined effects of warming and clipping on plant and soil properties in the alpine meadow ecosystem. Infrared radiators were used to simulate climate warming starting in July 2010, while clipping was performed once in Octo- ber 2011 to simulate the local livestock grazing. The experiment was designed as a randomized block consisting of five replications and four treatments： control （CK）, warming （W）, clipping （C） and warming＋clipping combination （WC）. The plant and soil properties were investigated in the growing season of the alpine meadow in 2012. The results showed that W and WC treatments significantly decreased relative humidity at 20-cm height above ground as well as significantly increases air temperature at the same height, surface temperature, and soil temperature at the depth of 0-30 cm. However, the C treatment did not significantly decrease soil moisture and soil temperature at the depth of 0-60 cm. Relative to CK, vegetation height and species number increased significantly in W and WC treatment, respectively, while vegetation aboveground biomass decreased significantly in C treatment in the early growing season. However, vegetation cover, species diversity, belowground biomass and soil properties at the depth of 0-30 cm did not differ significantly in W, C and WC treatments. Soil moisture increased at the depth of 40-100 cm in W and WC treatments, while belowground biomass, soil activated carbon, organic carbon and total nitrogen increased in the 30-50 cm soil layer in W, C and WC treatments. Although the initial responses of plant and soil properties to experimental warming and clipping were slow and weak, the drought induced by the down- ward shift of soil moisture in the upper soil layers may induce plant belowground biomass to transfer to the deeper soil layers. This movement would modify the distributions of soil activated carbon, organic carbon and total nitrogen However, long-term data collection is needed to further explain this interesting phenomenon.

Impact of climate change on allowable bearing capacity on theQinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Climate change has a substantial impact on infrastructures in the permafrost on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). In this study, the mean annual ground temperature (MAGT) and permafrost evolution were investigated in both the historical (1950-2005) and projected (2006-2099) periods. Then, an allowable bearing capacity model was used to discuss the allowable bearing capacity change on the QTP. Results show that the MAGT increased by 0.36 ℃ during 1950-2005. The MAGT will increase by 0.40 (RCP2.6), 0.79 (RCP4.5), 1.07 (RCP6.0), and 1.75 (RCP8.5)℃C during 2006-2099. In addition, the permafrost area has decreased by 0.195 × 10^6 km2 in 1950-2005. The permafrost area will decrease by 0.232 × 10^6 (RCP2.6), 0.468 × 10^6 (RCP4.5), 0.564 × 10^6 (RCP6.0), and 0.803 × 10^6 (RCP8.5) km2 during 2006-2099. With the degradation of permafrost, the allowable bearing capacity in permafrost zones would decrease accordingly. The decreasing trend is 6 kPa per 10 years in 1950-2005, and will be 0.6 (RCP2.6), 5 (RCP4.5), 7 (RCP6.0), and 11 (RCP8.5) kPa per 10 years during 2006-2099. The most remarkable trend would be observed under RCP8.5. Meanwhile, some scientific advices for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of permafrost engineering in the context of climate change were provided.

Chronological Link Between the Abrupt Change of the Loess Grain Size Sequence and the Formation of River Terraces on the Eastern Margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Since the Late Early-Pleistocene

Based on the study of magnetostratigraphy,magnetic susceptibility and grain size of Garze A section on the southeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau since the late early-Pleistocene,the basal age of Garze loess is located at～1.16 MaBP and a series of abrupt paleoclimatic changes is detected.The times of abrupt changes are of distinct series features,and the interval between each two adjacent abrupt changes is～50 kyr or～100 kyr.The most significant abrupt changes occur at around 1.06,0.85,0.6,0.46,0.39 and 0.14 MaBP.There is a chronological link between the abrupt changes of paleoclimate and the formation of river terraces and it is almost simultaneous with a strengthening trend of neotectonic activities.Therefore,maybe the climatic transition controll the timing of terrace formation,and the tectonic uplift originate potential energy and has a direct effect on channel incision, both the climatic transition and the tectonic uplift are important.Terraces are the products of the interaction of instable climatic variations and tectonic uplift.Like the loess-paleosol sequences,river terrace sequences are also controlled by the climate-tectonic coupling system and are ruled by climate-tectonic gyration with a～100 kyr paracycle,which may be the short eccentricity period of the earth.

Driving forces of land use and land cover change (LUCC) in the Zoige Wetland, Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The Zoige Wetland is located in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which is highly sensitive to global environment change and human disturbance because of its high elevation and cold environment, thus, it＇s a hotspot for land use and land cover change （LUCC） research. We used Landsat MSS images from 1975, Landsat ETM images from 2000, and Landsat TM images fi：om 1990 and 2005 to assess the LUCC in the study area, using GIS techniques, as well as topographic, vegetation, and soil maps combined with field investigations. The monitoring result shows that the study area＇s environment degraded rapidly between 1975 and 2005, including wetland shrinkage from 5,308 km2 to 4,980 lan2, sandy land expansion from 112 krn2 to 137 krn2, forest land decreasing from 5,686 km2 to 5,443 km2, and grassland degradation from 12,309 km2 to 10,672 km2. According to the analysis of meteorological data and social-economic statistical data, we concluded that the LUCC in the Zoige Wetland was caused by both natural and anthropogenic factors, but human activities were primarily responsible for the observed LUCC, thereby, we suggest human behaviors must be adjusted to control environmental degradation.

Hydrogen isotopic composition of plant leaf wax in response to soil moisture in an arid ecosystem of the northeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China

The hydrogen isotopic composition of plant leaf wax（δDwax） is used as an important tool for paleohydrologic reconstruction. However, the understanding of the relative importance of environmental and biological factors in determining δDwax values still remains incomplete. To identify the effects of soil moisture and plant physiology on δDwax values in an arid ecosystem, and to explore the implication of these values for paleoclimatic reconstruction, we measured δD values of soil water（δDwater） and δDwax values in surface soils along two distance transects extending from the lakeshore to wetland to dryland around Lake Qinghai and Lake Gahai on the northeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The results showed that the δDwater values were negatively correlated with soil water content（SWC）（R^2=0.9166）, and ranged from –67‰ to –46‰ with changes in SWC from 6.2% to 42.1% in the arid areas of the Gangcha（GCh） and Gahai（GH） transects. This indicated that evaporative D-enrichment in soil water was sensitive to soil moisture in an arid ecosystem. Although the shift from grasses to shrubs with increasing aridity occurred in the arid area of the GH transect, the δDwax values in surface soils from the arid areas of the two transects still showed a negative correlation with SWC（R^2=0.6835）, which may be due to the controls of primary evaporative D-enrichment in the soil water and additional transpirational D-enrichment in the leaf water on the δDwaxvalues. Our preliminary research suggested that δDwax values can potentially be applied as a paleo-humidity indicator on the northeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Cosmogenic ^(10)Be and ^(26)Al Chronology of the Last Glaciation of the Palaeo-Daocheng Ice Cap,Southeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The glacial landforms of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau （QTP） provide a unique opportunity to research hemispheric and global environmental changes. In this study, we focus on the glacial history of the palaeo-Daocheng Ice Cap （p-DIC） in the southeastern QTP during the last glacial cycle. Based on field investigations, morphostratigraphy, and surface exposure dating of roche moutonnée, polished surface and moraine debris through the terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides （TCN） ^10Be and ^26Al. We identify glacial deposits of the last deglaciation, with minimum ages of 14.9±1.3-18.7±1.7 ka, the Last Glacial Maximum （LGM） of 24.7±2.2 ka, and the early part of the last glacial period （marine oxygen isotope stage （MIS） 3） of 37.1±3.4-45.2±3.9 ka. Our results show that in this region, the extent of the glacial advance during MIS 3 was larger than that during the traditional LGM （MIS 2）. These ages are consistent with prior chronologies, and the ^10Be age is consistent with the ^26Al age for the same sample. Thus, these data provide reliable constraints on climate change in the QTP, during the last glaciation.

Microbial diversity in two cold springs on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The microbial diversity in Wuli Area, Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau was investigated using 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analyses. A total of 117 bacterial and 66 archaeal 16S rRNA gene clones were obtained from the Wuli cold springs, The bacterial clones could be classified into Proteobacteria, Acid- obacteria, Deinococci, Sphingobacteria, Flavobacteria, Nitrospirae, Actinobacteria, Gemmatimona- detes, and unclassified-bacteria; and the archaeal clones could be classified into Crenarchaeota and Thaumarchaeota. Among the major groups, Proteobacteria and Crenarchaeota were dominant in the bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA gene clone libraries, respectively. The clone sequences obtained in Wuli cold springs were closely related to those from cold habitats, such as snow/ice/soils on high mountains or at high latitude. Especially, the microbial community composition of Wuli Area was more similar to that in Tibetan glaciers than cold environments of other locations. The data presented in this study have impli- cations for a better understanding of microbial diversity in cold springs on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

CCA Inferred Environmental Implications of Common Ostracods on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

103 surface sediment samples in 71 water bodies, such as lakes with different salinity, swamps, shallow puddles and rivers on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau （QTP）, were collected to study the ecological distribution of living ostracods and their environmental implications. Total of 12 genus and 45 species living ostracods are identified. According to the frequencies and abundance of ostracods occurrence, Limnocythere dubiosa, Limnocytherellina kunlunensis, llyocypris bradyi, Candona candida, Eucypris rischtanica and Leucocythere dilatata are the common species on the QTP, with occurrence frequency of more than 8 and abundance of more than 570 in the 71 water bodies. Among them, L. dubiosa, occurring in 28 water bodies with 2177 shells, is the most widely distributed ostracod in this research. Canonical Correspondence Analysis （CCA） indicates high correlation between species and environmental variables, suggesting that the occurrence of species is strongly related to the changes in ecological conditions of habitats. Among eight environmental factors, salinity and pH value are the most affective variables that influence the species occurrence. L. kunlunensis is positively correlated with salinity while E. rischtanica is negatively correlated with salinity. C. candida has a positive correlation with salinity, as does I. bradyi although there is not such a strong correlation. L. dubiosa displays a positive correlation with pH value. Consequently, we discuss the environmental implications of the common living ostracods on the QTP based on the CCA as well as the distribution of ostracod species in different salinity and pH values water. L. dubiosa, L. kunlunensis and E. rischtanica are euryhaline species, among which, L. dubiosa is the most adaptable species on the QTP with large occurrence in sundry salinity water and the most widely adaptive range for pH values. L. kunlunensis prefers to saline water while E. rischtanica prefers to fresh water. Both L. kunlunensis and E. rischtanica can live in water from faintly acid to alkaline, in contrast, L. dubiosa only appears in neutral and alkaline water bodies. L bradyi only occurs in fresh water and oligohaline water with a large pH tolerance range tolerance range from weakly acidic water to alkaline water weakly acidic water to alkaline water. C. Candida lives in freshwater, with pH value above eight. The six common species reach maximum abundance in alkaline water （pH 8-10） except for llyocypris bradyi.

Responses of Alpine Wetlands to Climate Changes on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Based on Remote Sensing

The alpine wetlands in QTP(Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau)have been profoundly impacted along with global climate changes.We employ satellite datasets and climate data to explore the relationships between alpine wetlands and climate changes based on remote sensing data.Results show that:1)the wetland NDVI(Normalized Difference Vegetation Index)and GPP(Gross Primary Production)were more sensitive to air temperature than to precipitation rate.The wetland ET(evapotranspiration)across alpine wetlands was greatly correlated with precipitation rate.2)Alpine wetlands responses to climate changes varied spatially and temporally due to different geographic environments,variety of wetland formation and human disturbances.3)The vegetation responses of the Zoige wetland was the most noticeable and related to the temperature,while the GPP and NDVI of the Qiangtang Plateau and Gyaring-Ngoring Lake were significantly correlated with both temperature and precipitation.4)ET in the Zoige wetland showed a significantly positive trend,while ET in Maidika wetland and the Qiangtang plateau showed a negative trend,implying wetland degradation in those two wetland regions.The complexities of the impacts of climate changes on alpine wetlands indicate the necessity of further study to understand and conserve alpine wetland ecosystems.

The Warming and Wetting Ecological Environment Changes over the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and the Driving Effect of the Asian Summer Monsoon

The impact of warming and wetting on the ecological environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(TP)under the background of climate change has been a concern of the global scientific community.In this paper,the optimized interpolation variational correction approach is adopted for the analysis of monthly high-resolution satellite precipitation products and observations from meteorological stations during the past 20 years.As a result,the corrected precipitation products can not only supplement the“blank area”of precipitation observation stations on the TP,but also improve the accuracy of the original satellite precipitation products.The precipitation over the TP shows different spatial changes in the vegetation growing season,known as the time from May to September.The precipitation in the vegetation growing season and leaf area index(LAI)in the following month show a similar change pattern,indicating a“one-month lag”response of LAI to precipitation on the TP.Further analysis illustrates the influence of water vapor transport driven by the Asian summer monsoon.Water vapor derived from trans-equatorial air flows across the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea is strengthened,leading to the increase of precipitation in the central and northern TP,where the trend of warming and wetting and the increase of vegetation tend to be more obvious.By contrast,as a result of the weakening trend of water vapor transport in the middle and low levels in southern TP,the precipitation decreases,and the LAI shows a downtrend,which inhibits the warming and wetting ecological environment in this area.

Characteristics of mineral element content of alpine vegetation in permafrost region on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The content characteristics of 16 elements （Al, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Sr, and Zn） in 23 plant species collected from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau permafrost region were investigated using ICP-OES. Results show that the average contents of Ca, K, Mg, Fe and P were higher than 1,000 mg/kg, those of Al, Na, Zn and Cr ranged between 10-1,000 mg/kg and those of Cu, Li, Pb and Mo were less than 10 mg/kg. The levels of Al, Ca, K, Mg and Na were within the scope of the reported terrestrial plant element content, those of Sr, Fe and Cr were higher than the average of the terrestrial plants and the maximum content of Max was higher than the upper limit of the reported Mn content. The main character of the element content was of the Ca〉K type, however, in terms of Cyperaeeae species the element content character was K〉Ca type. The contents of Ca, Li, Mg and Sr in Gramineae and Cyperaeeae species were higher than those in other species and the contents of Ca, K, Mg, Fe, E A1 and Na in all collected plants were higher than those of other elements. Zn had weak variability with the lowest coefficient （i.e., 7.81%）, while other elements had strong variability. The ratio of maximum content to minimum content indicated Ca and K had less change than other elements in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau permafrost region. Element content of alpine vegetation in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau permafrost region mainly shows a positive correlation, among which the correlation coefficient between Al and Pb, Al and Fe, Mo and Cr, Pb and Fe, Sr and Li were higher than 0.9, and negative correlation had no statistical signifi- cance. The correlation between Al and Fe, Mg, Mn in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau permafrost region were consistent with that reported in Kunlun Mountains.

Geochemical evidences of dry climate in the Mid-Holocene in Gonghe Basin, northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Previous research on climatic change in the Mid-Holocene in China indicates that it was a warm and humid period, accompanied by stronger summer monsoons, and it is defined as the Megatherrnal in the Holocene, or the Holocene Optimum period. However, this conclusion is mainly dh＇eeted at the monsoonal region in eastem China. In this research, we chose the Gonghe Basin in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau as the study area. Geochemical analysis of the profiles of paleosols and aeolian sand in the Santala area in the middle of the Gonghe Basin, along with OSL （optically stimulated luminescence） dating, indicates that the regional climate has experienced several warm-humid and cold-dry cycles since 11.8 ka. In particular, the Mid-Holocene （8.14.6 ka） was relatively cold and dry as evidenced by drastic fluctuations in chemical weathering degree and humidity, a higher aridity index, and sparse vegetation, accompanying increased winter monsoonal strength. In order to clarify whether this is an individual or local signal, we compared our geochemical analysis results with lake and peat records and aeolian de- posits of the monsoonal boundary region. The results indicate that the climate deteriorated widely, with declines in temperature and moisture, in the Mid-Holocene in the modem monsoonal boundary zone. Furthermore, the duration of climate deteriora- tion （relatively dry period） generally decreased from west to east in the aforementioned regions. Therefore, this dry phase in Gonghe Basin may be representative of dry events in Mid-Holocene in northem China. In addition, we discuss the reasons for this dry climate from several perspectives： （1） it probably can be attributed to a decline in summer monsoonal strength; （2） the regional evaporation loss （forced by high temperature） was not compensated by regional precipitation; （3） the thermal dynamic effect of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Definition of the Quaternary Qiangtang Paleolake in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China

Since the Quaternary, many lakes have been present in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. As peculiar geological processes in the evolution of the uplifting of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the distributions and evolutions of the Quaternary paleolakes in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau have been the focus of interest among the international geosciences circle. Comparisons of the newly obtained and existing data from field surveys, remote sensing images, characteristics of tectonic landforms and distribution of the lacustrine strata, the author have, for the first time, defined a large-sized Quaternary Qiangtang Paleolake. The paleolake starts from the east-westerly direction at Rutog in western Tibet, passing through Gerze, and finally ends at Nagqu in eastern Tibet. Its length is approximately 1,200 kin; it is about 420 km at its widest point （north-southerly）. The Paleolake forms an E-W （or NWW） ellipsoid with an estimated area of 354920 km2. The Paleolake is bordered by the Mts. Gangdise and Nyainqentanglha to the south and the Karakorum Pass-Toze Kangri-Zangbagangri- Tanggula Pass to the north. It generally appears as a basinal landform with low mountains and valleys in the central part （altitudes of 4400 m） and higher altitudes （5000 m） in the peripheries. The formation and development of the Paleolake was controlled by the nearly E-W trending structures. There are three east-westerly extending tectonic sutures inside the Paleolake area, from north to south： （1） the Shuanghu Suture; （2） the Bangong Co-Nujiang River Suture; （3） the Shiquanhe-Lhari Suture. These three sutures have generally controlled the spreading features of the Paleolake and act as the first grade lake-controlling structures. In the southern Paleolake basin, there are a series of south-northerly rift basins, which are controlled by the normal faults and exist as a series of south-northerly grabens and semi-graben faulted basins. The south- northerly rift zones have clearly exerted control over the south margin of the Paleolake as well as the distribution of the residual lake basins after the Paleolake＇s break up. They are the secondary lake- controlling tectonics. Discoveries of the lacustrine strata inside the Plateau, especially the successive discoveries of many high-stand lacustrine strata, are direct evidence supporting the existence of the paleolakes in the Plateau. The dating results of the lake-eroded travertine in the Dong Co in the hinterland of the Quaternary Qiangtang Paleolake have revealed that the lake-eroded travertine is of Late Pleistocene sediments. By considering the analysis of the lacustrine strata as well, the researchers have revealed that the Quaternary Qiangtang Paleolake begins its embryonic form in the Early Pleistocene, successively develops till the Middle Pleistocene, and reaches its full blossom in the middle stage of the Late Pleistocene; it further shrinks and separates by the end of the Late Pleistocene, and finally ceases its whole life as the paleolake. After the Holocene, the huge Late Pleistocene Qiangtang Paleolake no longer exists, leaving a series of widely distributed smaller lakes on the Qiangtang Plateau. These smaller, isolated water systems receive the Holocene lacustrine sediments.

Effects of land-use types on soil organic carbon stocks:a case study across an altitudinal gradient within a farmpastoral area on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China

A crucial region for China's ‘Grain-forGreen Policy' is located within a traditional farmpastoral area, between 2000 to 3000 m above sea level, on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.However, the responses of soil organic carbon(SOC) to different land-use patterns in this region are unclear. Here, we determined the SOC(0–20 cm) content of grasslands and forests that are being converted from farmlands, as well as in abandoned arable land and arable land in this region. The factors influencing the reclaimed lands were analyzed along altitudes from 2030 to 3132 m. Our results showed that SOC content was higher for grassland and abandoned arable land than forest and arable land. The SOC content increased with the increase in altitude for total land-use patterns. Further, the grassland and abandoned arable land had higher SOC content than the forest with almost parallel trends along the increase in altitude. However, the proportion of regulated factors of altitude and species richness varied among forest, grassland, and abandoned arable land. Our results indicated that the land-use pattern of returning farmland to grassland and abandoned arable land was more effective in terms of the SOC storage in the superficial layer in this altitude range in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, thereby being beneficial to optimizing land management in this region.

Deformation behavior of in situ permafrost on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Creep is an important mechanical behavior of frozen soils, one which can cause many problems for the infrastructures in permafrost regions on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. To access the natural creep properties of in situ permafrost for explaining the engineering instability and predicting long-term deformation, conducting field tests is necessary. The paper reports on a group of plate loading tests we carried out over many years on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The results show that the ground temperature at the loading plates ranged from-0.29 °C to-3.03 °C, and the mean annual ground temperature increased year by year in a linear fashion. Affected by the ground-temperature variations, two forms of deformation curves, a step-form and a wave-form occurred, depending on the relative extent of settlement in warm seasons and frost heave in cold seasons. Overall, the deformations of permafrost were characterized by settlement. The deformation magnitudes and curve styles of permafrost are different at different locations attributing to the influence of ground temperature and moisture content. Due to the existence of much unfrozen water in warm frozen soils, consolidation resulting from migration of unfrozen water along seepage channels may play a significant role in the settlement of permafrost. The research can provide a credible reference for engineering in the permafrost regions and the numerical computation of settlement.

Amphibians Testing Negative for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,China

A disease caused by the fungi Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis（Bd） and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans（Bsal） is responsible for recent worldwide declines and extinctions of amphibian populations.The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau（QTP） is aglobal biodiversity hotspot,yet little is known about the prevalence of Bd and Bsal in this region.In this study,we collected 336 non-invasive skin swabs from wild amphibians（including an exotic amphibian species） on the QTP.In addition,to assess the historical prevalence of Bd and Bsal on the QTP,we collected 117 non-invasive skin swabs from museum-archived amphibian samples（from 1964-1982） originating from the QTP.Our results showed all samples to be negative for Bd and Bsal.The government should ban the potentially harmful introduction of non-native amphibian species to the QTP and educate the public about the impacts of releasing exotic amphibians from chytridinfected areas into native environments of the QTP.