Vegetation Changes from 2014 to 2023 in the Mongolian Plateau Permafrost Region under Climate Change

The permafrost region is one of the most sensitive areas to climate change.With global warming,the Mongolian Plateau permafrost is rapidly degrading,and its vegetation ecosystem is seriously threatened.To address this challenge,it is essential to understand the impact of climate change on vegetation at different permafrost degradation stages on the Mongolian Plateau.Based on the general permafrost distribution,in this study,we divided different permafrost regions and explored the response of vegetation to climate change at different stages of permafrost degradation by the idea of“space instead of time”from 2014 to 2023.The results of the study showed that:(1)Normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)values showed a decreasing trend,and the proportion of the decreasing region was in the order of sporadic permafrost region>isolated and sparse permafrost region>continuous and discontinuous permafrost regions.(2)The main controlling factors of vegetation growth in permafrost regions are different,air temperature is the main controlling factor of vegetation growth in isolated and sparse permafrost region(r=-0.736)and sporadic permafrost regions(r=-0.522),and precipitation is the main controlling factor of vegetation growth in continuous and discontinuous permafrost region(r=-0.498).(3)The response of NDVI to climate change varies at different stages of permafrost degradation.In the early stages of permafrost degradation,increased land surface temperature(LST)and air temperature favored vegetation growth and increased vegetation cover,whereas increased precipitation impeded vegetation growth;as the permafrost degraded,increased LST and air temperature impeded vegetation growth,whereas increased precipitation promoted vegetation growth.

Quantitative contributions of climate change and human activities to vegetation dynamics in the Zoige Plateau from 2001 to 2020

Climate change and human activities such as overgrazing and rapid development of tourism simultaneously affected the vegetation of the Zoige Plateau.However,the spatiotemporal variations of vegetation and the relative contributions of climate change and human activities to these vegetation dynamics remain unclear.Therefore,clarifying how and why the vegetation on the Zoige Plateau changed can provide a scientific basis for the sustainable development of the region.Here,we investigate NDVI trends using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI)as an indicator of vegetation greenness and distinguish the relative effects of climate changes and human activities on vegetation changes by utilizing residual trend analysis and the Geodetector.We find a tendency of vegetation greening from 2001 to 2020,with significant greening accounting for 21.44%of the entire region.However,browning area expanded rapidly after 2011.Warmer temperatures are the primary driver of vegetation changes in the Zoige Plateau.Climatic variations and human activities were responsible for 65.57%and 34.43%of vegetation greening,and 39.14%and 60.86%of vegetation browning,respectively,with browning concentrated along the Yellow,Black and White Rivers.Compared to 2001-2010,the inhibitory effect of human activity and climate fluctuations on vegetation grew dramatically between 2011 and 2020.

Impacts of climate change and human activities on vegetation dynamics on the Mongolian Plateau, East Asia from 2000 to 2023

The Mongolian Plateau in East Asia is one of the largest contingent arid and semi-arid areas of the world.Under the impacts of climate change and human activities,desertification is becoming increasingly severe on the Mongolian Plateau.Understanding the vegetation dynamics in this region can better characterize its ecological changes.In this study,based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS)images,we calculated the kernel normalized difference vegetation index(kNDVI)on the Mongolian Plateau from 2000 to 2023,and analyzed the changes in kNDVI using the Theil-Sen median trend analysis and Mann-Kendall significance test.We further investigated the impact of climate change on kNDVI change using partial correlation analysis and composite correlation analysis,and quantified the effects of climate change and human activities on kNDVI change by residual analysis.The results showed that kNDVI on the Mongolian Plateau was increasing overall,and the vegetation recovery area in the southern region was significantly larger than that in the northern region.About 50.99%of the plateau showed dominant climate-driven effects of temperature,precipitation,and wind speed on kNDVI change.Residual analysis showed that climate change and human activities together contributed to 94.79%of the areas with vegetation improvement.Appropriate human activities promoted the recovery of local vegetation,and climate change inhibited vegetation growth in the northern part of the Mongolian Plateau.This study provides scientific data for understanding the regional ecological environment status and future changes and developing effective ecological protection measures on the Mongolian Plateau.

Impact of a retrogressive thaw slump on surrounding vegetation communities in the Fenghuoshan mountains,Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Under global warming,permafrost around the world is experiencing degradation which is especially so on the Third Pole,the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP),China.Retrogressive thaw slump(RTS)is one of the thermokarst features caused by rapid degradation of ice rich permafrost,which transforms landforms and threatens infrastructures,and even affects the terrestrial carbon cycle.In this work,vegetation communities surrounding a RTS in the Fenghuoshan Mountains of the interior portion of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have been investigated to examine the impact from RTS.This investigation indicates that the occurrence of RTS influences the vegetation community by altering their habitats,especially the soil water content,which forces the vegetation community to evolve in order to adapt to the alterations.In the interior part of RTS where it has been disturbed tremendously,alterations have produced a wider niche and richer plant species.This favors species of a wet environment in a habitat where it was a relatively dry environment of alpine steppe prior to the occurrence of RTS.This study adds to limited observations regarding the impact of RTS to vegetation community on the QTP and helps us to reach a broader understanding of the effects of permafrost degradation as well as global warming.

Significant lake expansion has accelerated permafrost degradation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

In recent years, lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have become more responsive to climate change. In September 2011, Zonag Lake in Hoh Xil experienced sudden drainage, the water eventually flowed into Yanhu Lake, which caused Yanhu Lake to continue to expand. The potential collapse of Yanhu Lake could directly threaten the operational safety of the adjacent Qinghai-Tibet Highway, Qinghai-Tibet Railway. To explore the implications of expanding lakes on the surrounding permafrost, we selected Hoh Xil Yanhu Lake on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to study the effect of lake expansion on permafrost degradation. The permafrost degradation in the Yanhu Lake basin from October 2017 to December 2022 was inverted using Sentinel-1 satellite image data and small baseline subset interferometry synthetic aperture radar(SBAS-In SAR) technology. Additionally, permafrost degradation from February 2007 and February 2010 was analyzed using advanced land observing satellite phased array-type L-band synthetic aperture radar(ALOS PALSAR) satellite images and differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar(D-In SAR) technique. The results showed that the permafrost around Yanhu Lake experienced accelerated degradation. Prior to the expansion of Yanhu Lake, the average annual deformation rate along the line of sight(LOS) direction was 6.7 mm/yr. After the expansion, the rate increased to 20.9 mm/yr. The integration of spatial-temporal distribution maps of surface subsidence, Wudaoliang borehole geothermal data, meteorological data, Yanhu Lake surface area changes, and water level changes supports the assertion that the intensified permafrost degradation could be attributed to lake expansion rather than the rising air temperature. Furthermore, permafrost degradation around Yanhu Lake could impact vital infrastructure such as the adjacent Qinghai-Tibet Highway and Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

Cryptic diversity and rampant hybridization in annual gentians on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau revealed by population genomic analysis

Understanding the evolutionary and ecological processes involved in population differentiation and speciation provides critical insights into biodiversity formation. In this study, we employed 29,865 single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) and complete plastomes to examine genomic divergence and hybridization in Gentiana aristata, which is endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP) region. Genetic clustering revealed that G. aristata is characterized by geographic genetic structures with five clusters(West, East, Central, South and North). The West cluster has a specific morphological character(i.e., blue corolla) and higher values of FSTcompared to the remaining clusters, likely the result of the geological barrier formed by the Yangtze River. The West cluster diverged from the other clusters in the Early Pliocene;these remaining clusters diverged from one another in the Early Quaternary. Phylogenetic reconstructions based on SNPs and plastid data revealed substantial cyto-nuclear conflicts. Genetic clustering and D-statistics demonstrated rampant hybridization between the Central and North clusters,along the Bayankala Mountains, which form the geological barrier between the Central and North clusters. Species distribution modeling demonstrated the range of G. aristata expanded since the Last Interglacial period. Our findings provide genetic and morphological evidence of cryptic diversity in G. aristata, and identified rampant hybridization between genetic clusters along a geological barrier.These findings suggest that geological barriers and climatic fluctuations have an important role in triggering diversification as well as hybridization, indicating that cryptic diversity and hybridization are essential factors in biodiversity formation within the QTP region.

Unveiling evapotranspiration patterns and energy balance in a subalpine forest of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau:observations and analysis from an eddy covariance system

Evapotranspiration is an important parameter used to characterize the water cycle of ecosystems.To under-stand the properties of the evapotranspiration and energy balance of a subalpine forest in the southeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,an open-path eddy covariance system was set up to monitor the forest from November 2020 to October 2021 in a core area of the Three Parallel Rivers in the Qing-hai-Tibet Plateau.The results show that the evapotranspira-tion peaked daily,the maximum occurring between 11:00 and 15:00.Environmental factors had significant effects on evapotranspiration,among them,net radiation the greatest(R^(2)=0.487),and relative humidity the least(R^(2)=0.001).The energy flux varied considerably in different seasons and sensible heat flux accounted for the main part of turbulent energy.The energy balance ratio in the dormant season was less than that in the growing season,and there is an energy imbalance at the site on an annual time scale.

Bacterial communities and enzyme activities during litter decomposition of Elymus nutans leaf on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The dominant plant litter plays a crucial role in carbon(C)and nutrients cycling as well as ecosystem functions maintenance on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP).The impact of litter decomposition of dominant plants on edaphic parameters and grassland productivity has been extensively studied,while its decomposition processes and relevant mechanisms in this area remain poorly understood.We conducted a three-year litter decomposition experiment in the Gansu Gannan Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station,an alpine meadow ecosystem on the QTP,to investigate changes in litter enzyme activities and bacterial and fungal communities,and clarify how these critical factors regulated the decomposition of dominant plant Elymus nutans(E.nutans)litter.The results showed that cellulose and hemicellulose,which accounted for 95%of the initial lignocellulose content,were the main components in E.nutans litter decomposition.The litter enzyme activities ofβ-1,4-glucosidase(BG),β-1,4-xylosidase(BX),andβ-D-cellobiosidase(CBH)decreased with decomposition while acid phosphatase,leucine aminopeptidase,and phenol oxidase increased with decomposition.We found that both litter bacterial and fungal communities changed significantly with decomposition.Furthermore,bacterial communities shifted from copiotrophic-dominated to oligotrophic-dominated in the late stage of litter decomposition.Partial least squares path model revealed that the decomposition of E.nutans litter was mainly driven by bacterial communities and their secreted enzymes.Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria were important producers of enzymes BG,BX,and CBH,and their relative abundances were tightly positively related to the content of cellulose and hemicellulose,indicating that Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria are the main bacterial taxa of the decomposition of E.nutans litter.In conclusion,this study demonstrates that bacterial communities are the main driving forces behind the decomposition of E.nutans litter,highlighting the vital roles of bacterial communities in affecting the ecosystem functions of the QTP by regulating dominant plant litter decomposition.

A phylogenetic approach identifies patterns of beta diversity and floristic subregions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Patterns of taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity and their relationships with environmental correlates can help reveal the origin and evolutionary history of regional biota.The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)harbors an exceptionally diverse flora,however,a phylogenetic perspective has rarely been used to investigate its beta diversity and floristic regions.In this study,we used a phylogenetic approach to identify patterns of beta diversity and quantitatively delimit floristic regions on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.We also examined the relationships between multifaceted beta diversity,geographical distance,and climatic difference,and evaluated the relative importance of various factors(i.e.,climate,topography and history)in shaping patterns of beta diversity.Sørensen dissimilarity indices indicated that patterns of species turnover among sites dominated the QTP.We also found that patterns of both taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity were significantly related to geographical distance and climatic difference.The environmental factors that contributed most to these patterns of beta diversity include annual precipitation,mean annual temperature,climatic gradients and climatic instability.Hierarchical dendrograms of dissimilarity and non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination based on phylogenetic beta diversity data identified ten floristic subregions in the QTP.Our results suggest that the contemporary environment and historical climate changes have filtered species composition among sites and eventually determined beta diversity patterns of plants in the QTP.

Identification and distribution of 13003 landslides in the northwest margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau based on human-computer interaction remote sensing interpretation

The periphery of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is renowned for its susceptibility to landslides.However,the northwestern margin of this region,characterised by limited human activities and challenging transportation,remains insufficiently explored concerning landslide occurrence and dispersion.With the planning and construction of the Xinjiang-Tibet Railway,a comprehensive investigation into disastrous landslides in this area is essential for effective disaster preparedness and mitigation strategies.By using the human-computer interaction interpretation approach,the authors established a landslide database encompassing 13003 landslides,collectively spanning an area of 3351.24 km^(2)(36°N-40°N,73°E-78°E).The database incorporates diverse topographical and environmental parameters,including regional elevation,slope angle,slope aspect,distance to faults,distance to roads,distance to rivers,annual precipitation,and stratum.The statistical characteristics of number and area of landslides,landslide number density(LND),and landslide area percentage(LAP)are analyzed.The authors found that a predominant concentration of landslide origins within high slope angle regions,with the highest incidence observed in intervals characterised by average slopes of 20°to 30°,maximum slope angle above 80°,along with orientations towards the north(N),northeast(NE),and southwest(SW).Additionally,elevations above 4.5 km,distance to rivers below 1 km,rainfall between 20-30 mm and 30-40 mm emerge as particularly susceptible to landslide development.The study area’s geological composition primarily comprises Mesozoic and Upper Paleozoic outcrops.Both fault and human engineering activities have different degrees of influence on landslide development.Furthermore,the significance of the landslide database,the relationship between landslide distribution and environmental factors,and the geometric and morphological characteristics of landslides are discussed.The landslide H/L ratios in the study area are mainly concentrated between 0.4 and 0.64.It means the landslides mobility in the region is relatively low,and the authors speculate that landslides in this region more possibly triggered by earthquakes or located in meizoseismal area.

Biological soil crusts and their potential applications in the sand land over Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is now experiencing ecological degradation risks as a result of climate change and human activities.The alpine grassland ecology in permafrost zones is fragile and susceptible to deterioration due to its high altitude,low temperature,and limited oxygen,which complicates the repair of damaged land.Biological soil crusts(BSCs)are crucial for land restoration in plateau regions because they can thrive in harsh conditions and have environmentally beneficial traits.Inoculated biological soil crust(IBSC)has shown success in low-altitude desert regions,but may not be easily duplicated to the plateau environment.Therefore,it is essential to do a comprehensive and multifaceted analysis of the basic theoretical comprehension and practical application of BSCs on the Tibetan Plateau.This review article aims to provide a brief summary of the ecological significance and the mechanisms related to the creation,growth,and progression of BSCs.It discusses the techniques used for cultivating BSCs in laboratories and using them in the field,focusing on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau circumstance.We thoroughly discussed the potential and the required paths for further studies.This study may be used as a basis for selecting suitable microbial strains and accompanying supplemental actions for implementing IBSCs in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Relationships between modern pollen and vegetation and climate on the eastern Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau ecosystem is fragile and sensitive to climate change. Understanding the relationships between modern pollen and the vegetation and climate of the region is critical for the evaluation of ecological processes.Here, we explore modern pollen assemblages of typical land-cover types at a large spatial scale by analyzing 36surface samples from the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, supplemented by typical desert, desert-steppe, and steppe meadow transition data selected from the Chinese Surface Pollen Database, giving a total of 75 samples. We used redundancy analysis(RDA) to explore the responses of vegetation in the assemblages to regional climate. Our results show that pollen assemblages generally reflect the vegetation composition: assemblages from alpine meadow samples are dominated by Cyperaceae, Asteraceae, Rosaceae, and Polygonaceae;alpine shrublands mainly comprise Fabaceae, Rosaceae, Ericaceae, and Quercus(Q. spinosa);and coniferous forest surface samples mainly comprise Picea, Abies, Pinus, and Betulaceae. Our RDA shows that mean annual precipitation(MAP) is the main meteorological factor affecting the pollen assemblage and vegetation type;MAP positively correlates with percentages of Cyperaceae, Poaceae, Rosaceae, and Asteraceae, and negatively correlates with percentages of Chenopodiaceae, Ephedraceae, Nitraria, and Tamaricaceae. The ratio of Artemisia to Chenopodiaceae is a useful indicator to distinguish temperate desert from other land-cover types on the Tibetan Plateau, while the ratio of Cyperaceae + Asteraceae to Artemisia + Chenopodiaceae can be used to distinguish arid desert from other landcover types, and may provide a useful altitude index for the eastern Tibetan Plateau.

Response of Vegetation in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to Global Warming

Using satellite-observed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index （NDVI） dada and station-observed surface air temperature anomalies for the Northern Hemisphere （NH）, we analyze the spatio-temporal characteristics of vegetation variations in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and their correlations with global warming from 1982 to 2002. It is found that the late spring and early summer （May-June） are the months with the strongest responses of vegetation to global warming. Based on the Rotated Empirical Orthogonal Function （REOF） method, the study shows that the first REOF spatial pattern of average NDVI for May-June reveals the northern and southern zones with great inter-annual variations of vegetation, the northern zone from the eastern Ktmlun Mountains to the southwestern Qilian Mountain and southern zone from the northern edge of the Himalayas eastward to the Hengduan Mountains. The vegetation, especially grassland, in the two zones increases significantly with global warming, with a correlation coefficient of 0.71 between the first REOF of May-June vegetation and the April-May surface air temperature anomaly in the NH during 1982-2002. A long-term increasing trend in May-June vegetation for the plateau region as a whole is also attributed mainly to global warming although there are considerable regional differences. The areas with low NDVI （grassland and shrubland） usually respond more evidently to global warming, especially since the 1990s, than those with moderate or high NDVI values.

Monitoring the impact of climate change and human activities on grassland vegetation dynamics in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China during 2000–2015

Climate change and human activities can influence vegetation net primary productivity(NPP), a key component of natural ecosystems. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China, in spite of its significant natural and cultural values, is one of the most susceptible regions to climate change and human disturbances in the world. To assess the impact of climate change and human activities on vegetation dynamics in the grassland ecosystems of the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, we applied a time-series trend analysis to normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI) datasets from 2000 to 2015 and compared these spatiotemporal variations with trends in climatic variables over the same time period. The constrained ordination approach(redundancy analysis) was used to determine which climatic variables or human-related factors mostly influenced the variation of NDVI. Furthermore, in order to determine whether current conservation measures and programs are effective in ecological protection and reconstruction, we divided the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau into two parts: the Three-River Headwater conservation area(TRH zone) in the south and the non-conservation area(NTRH zone) in the north. The results indicated an overall(73.32%) increasing trend of vegetation NPP in grasslands throughout the study area. During the period 2000–2015, NDVI in the TRH and NTRH zones increased at the rates of 0.0015/a and 0.0020/a, respectively. Specifically, precipitation accounted for 9.2% of the total variation in NDVI, while temperature accounted for 13.4%. In addition, variation in vegetation NPP of grasslands responded not only to long-and short-term changes in climate, as conceptualized in non-equilibrium theory, but also to the impact of human activities and their associated perturbations. The redundancy analysis successfully separated the relative contributions of climate change and human activities, of which village population and agricultural gross domestic product were the two most important contributors to the NDVI changes, explaining 17.8% and 17.1% of the total variation of NDVI(with the total contribution >30.0%), respectively. The total contribution percentages of climate change and human activities to the NDVI variation were 27.5% and 34.9%, respectively, in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Finally, our study shows that the grassland restoration in the study area was enhanced by protection measures and programs in the TRH zone, which explained 7.6% of the total variation in NDVI.

Analysis of vegetation changes and dominant factors on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China

This research was undertaken to clarify the characteristics of vegetation change and its main influencing factors on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Using the greenness rate of change(GRC) and correlation factors, we analyzed the trend of vegetation change and its dominant factors from 2000 to 2015. The results indicate that the vegetation tended to improve from 2000 to 2015 on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with the improved area accounting for 39.93% of the total; and the degraded area accounting for 19.32%. The areas of degraded vegetation are mainly concentrated in the low-relief and intermediate-relief mountains of the high-altitude and extremely high-altitude areas on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, as the vegetation characteristics are impacted by the terrain. Temperature and precipitation have obvious response mechanisms to vegetation growth, but the effects of precipitation and temperature on vegetation degradation are not significant over a short time frame. Overgrazing and population growth are the dominant factors of vegetation degradation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Paleoclimate and Paleoenvironment of Gonghe Basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, During the Lastdeglacial: Weathering, Erosion and Vegetation Cover Affect Clay Mineral Formation

With the analysis of the sources and formation mechanism of the clay minerals in the sediment core from the Dalianhai lake in the Gonghe Basin,northeastern Tibet-Qinghai Plateau,clay mineral composition proxies,grain-size and carbonate contents have been employed for high-resolution study in order to reconstruct East Asian Summer Monsoon （EASM） over the northeastern Tibet-Qinghai Plateau during the lastdeglacial.The study also extended to establish a relationship between vegetation cover changes and erosion during the last 14.5 ka with pollen record and clay mineral proxies.Smectite/kaolinite and smectite/（illite＋chlorite） ratios allow us to assess hydrolysis conditions in lowlands and/or physical erosion process in highlands of the Gonghe Basin.Before 12.9 Cal ka BP,both mineralogical ratios show low values indicative of strong physical erosion in the basin with a dominant cold and dry phase.After 12.9 Cal ka BP,an increase in both mineralogical ratios indicates enhanced chemical weathering in the basin associated with a warm and humid climate.The beginning of Holocene is characterized by high smectite/（illite＋chlorite） and smectite/kaolinite ratios that is synchronous as with deposition of many peat laminae,implying the best warm and humid conditions specifically between 8.0 to 5.5 Cal ka BP.The time interval after 5.0 Cai ka BP is characterized by a return to high physical erosion and low chemical weathering with dry climate conditions in the basin.Comparing variations of clay mineral assemblages with previous pollen results,we observe a rapid response in terms of chemical weathering and physical erosion intensity to a modification of the vegetation cover in the basin.

Global Warming Impacts on Alpine Vegetation Dynamic in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China

This study is to illustrate alpine vegetation dynamics in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China from simulated filed experimental climate change, vegetation community dynamic simulation integrated with scenarios of global temperature increase of 1 to 3°C, and simulated regional alpine vegetation distribution changes in responses to global warming. Our warming treatment increased air temperatures by 5°C on average and soil temperatures were elevated by 3°C at 5 cm depth. Above- ground biomass of grasses responded rapidly to the warmer conditions whereby biomass was 25% greater than that of controls after only 5 wk of experimental warming. This increase was accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in forb biomass, resulting in almost no net change in community biomass after 5 wk. Under warmed conditions, peak community bio-mass was extended into October due in part to continued growth of grasses and the postponement of senescence. The Vegetation Dynamic Simulation Model calculates a probability surface for each vegetation type, and then combines all vegetation types into a composite map, determined by the maximum likelihood that each vegetation type should distribute to each raster unit. With scenarios of global temperature increase of 1°C to 3°C, the vegetation types such as Dry Kobresia Meadow and Dry Potentilla Shrub that are adapted to warm and dry conditions tend to become more dominant in the study area.

The Relationship Between Vegetation Characteristics and Altitudes in Transitional Permafrost Zone in Xidatan, Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Many studies showed that permafrost has profound influence on alpine ecosystem. However, former researches were mainly focused on typical points by temporal scales. There were few studies about the correlation between vegetation characteristics and different altitudes covering a large region in spatial pattern, especially in transitional permafrost(TP). There were continuous permafrost(CP) discontinuous permafrost(DCP) and seasonal frozen ground(SFG) in this study region. The types of permafrost changed from SFG to DCP, and finally become CP as the altitudes of Xidatan increase. In this paper, 112 845 points interpreted by HJ1-B(environment and disaster monitoring and prediction small satellite constellation), vegetation investigation points, thawing layer thickness research sites, ground temperature and water content observation plots were used to examine the spatial pattern of vegetation which were located in different altitudes in Xidatan, a typical TP region, in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Vegetation characteristics, soil moisture content(SMC) and thaw depths were collected in 15 August to 25 August2012. Characteristics of vegetation were mainly represented by fractional vegetation cover(FVC) derived from the normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI), as well as above ground biomass(AGB). In this paper, we analyzed that the distinction of vegetation characteristics in each range through statistics data. These ranges were divided by varied altitudes. For examples, the ranges were divided into 50 m or 100 m. In this study we use a large area plots method to further discuss the relationship between the features of vegetation and the different regions of permafrost based on altitudes shifts in Xidatan. A diagram described the vegetation characteristics variability with rising altitudes in transitional permafrost region was drawn in this paper. Our results illustrated the FVCs first increased in SFG region and then decreased in DCP zone slowly, and in CP region FVCs soared then dropped dramatically. With the altitudes increased, the curve of FVCs indicated a parabolic distribution except a little difference in the first 200 m range.

Numerical Simulation of Climatic Effects of Vegetation Variation in the Underlying Surface of Tibetan Plateau in Summer

Using the mesoscale regional atmospheric model RAMS(The Regional Atmospheric Modeling System),the climatic effects of underlying surface vegetation changes of Tibetan Plateau were conducted the numerical simulation.The possible influence of vegetation variation on regional climate was studied.The results showed that the climatic effects of Tibetan Plateau were well represented in the upper troposphere(300 hPa).The heating effect and cooling effect caused by vegetation changes of Tibetan Plateau were inconsistent between land surface and upper air,and the cyclone(anticyclone) differences reflected in the flow field would enhance South Asia high in the higher troposphere(lower southwest vortex system),which might have an effect on the precipitation in Yangtze River basin.

Insights into some large-scale landslides in southeastern margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The southeastern margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(SMQTP)is of a typical large landslide-prone area due to intense tectonic activity,deeply incised valleys,high geostress and frequent earthquakes.To gain insights into large landslides in southeastern margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,an area covering 3.34×105 km2 that extends 80e150 km on both sides of the Sichuan-Tibet traffic corridors(G318)was used to examine the spatial distribution and corresponding characteristics of landslides.The results showed that the study area contains at least 629 large landslides that are mainly concentrated on 7 zones(zones IeVII).Zones IeVII are in the southern section of the Longmenshan fault zone(with no large river)and sections with Dadu River,Jinsha River,Lancang River,Nujiang River and Yarlung Zangbo River.There are more landslides in the Jinsha River section(totaling 186 landslides)than the other sections.According to the updated Varnes classification,408 large landslides(64.9%)were recognized and divided into 4 major types,i.e.flows(275 cases),slides(58 cases),topples(44 cases)and slope deformations(31 cases).Flows,which consist of rock avalanches and iceerock avalanches,are the most common landslide type.Large landslide triggers(178 events,28.3%)are also recognized,and earthquakes may be the most common trigger.Due to the limited data,these landslide type classifications and landslide triggers are perhaps immature,and further systematic analysis is needed.