(Hamamelis kobresia) which is a woody shrub with leaves and bark that provide an excellent source of firewood. Consequently, large tracts on slopes of 10-200 between 2,800 and 3,300 m have been completely cleared and are overgrazed by yaks (Bos mutus) and horses. The climatic parameters for this area (meteorological station at 3,610 m) show a mean annual air temperature of -3.20C with extremes of 240 and -380C. Annual precipitation is 440 mm (unpublished records of the Quaternary Glacier and Environment Center, Lanzhou University). No botanical surveys have been carried out; however, there are many similarities with mid-latitude mountains of western North America with respect to flowering plants and grass-sedge complexes. During the 1987 geomorphological survey of the Dalijia Shan (Figure 1) we noted the effects of vegetation removal