Chang Tang Research Articles

Comparison of Root Ecological Stoichiometry between Non-Growing Season and Growing Season of Grassland on the Chang Tang Plateau.

Root C: N: P stoichiometry affect the geochemical cycles of ecosystems, while a few studies were conducted on it and its relationship with soil nutrients, especially in the non-growing season. In this study, we investigated the root C:N:P stoichiometry of alpine steppe(AS), alpine meadow steppe(AMS), and alpine meadow(AM) in April (non-growing season) and August(growing season) in 2013. The results showed that: (1) There were no differences in root C, N, P, C: N, C:P, and N:P with a depth of AS in April. However, root C and C: N increased with depth, while N and N:P decreased with a depth of AS in August. In both months, the variation of root C, N, P, C: N with depth in AM was consistent with that of AS in August, and root C at deep layer decreased in August, which indicated roots of AM began to grow in April No significant difference of root C, N, C: N and N:P with depth was found, while P and C:P varied between the two months of AMS. Root P content at 20-30 cm was higher than that of other soil layers in April, which was significantly higher than that of AS, while no significant difference was found in August. (2) Grassland types had significant effects on soil nutrients (except TP) at 0-10 cm and 20-30 cm soil layers. (3) No significant correlation between soil nutrients and root C, N, P, C: N, C: P, and N: P was found in April. Soil TN and AN content had a significant positive correlation with root N: P, indicating that soil nitrogen was the primary N source of the root. Soil TP and AP were significantly negatively correlated with root C and C: N in August. This study can provide basic data and provide theoretical support for further understanding the role of grassland roots in nutrient cycling.

Estimation of the Tibetan Wild Ass Population in Gaize County of Chang Tang Plateau based on the Belt Transect Method and Random Forest Model

As a typical representative of the herbivorous wild animals in Chang Tang Plateau, the number of Tibetan wild asses has increased significantly in recent years. Clarifying the distribution, population, and size of its habitats is conducive to formulating the protection plan for wild animals and managing the conflict between people and wild animals in Chang Tang Plateau. Based on the distribution probability of Tibetan wild ass habitats and environmental factors, the number of Tibetan wild asses in Gaize County of Chang Tang Plateau was calculated by using the belt transect method and random forest model, and due to the uncertainty of the calculations, the results were corrected and analyzed. The results show that the living environment of Tibetan wild asses in Gaize County of Chang Tang Plateau is at 4400–4600 m above sea level, 350–400 m away from the river, and the average temperature in the warmest season is 10–12 °C. The vegetation types of habitats are generally temperate tufted dwarf grass, dwarf semi shrub desert grassland, alpine grass, Carex grassland, alpine cushion dwarf semi shrub desert, among others. On the basis of studying the environmental preferences of Tibetan wild asses, the random forest model was corrected by using the data of the second scientific survey sample line of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau for three years. The approximate number of Tibetan wild asses in each of the different areas of Gaize County was obtained. The number of Tibetan wild asses in Gaize Town, Xianqian Township, Gumu Township, Chabu Township, Mami Township, Wuma Township and Dongcuo Township is 855, 3458, 2358, 1453, 743, 943 and 647, respectively. By studying the environmental preferences of Tibetan wild asses and analyzing the results of the belt transect survey, the random forest model can accurately estimate the number of Tibetan wild asses in Gaize County of Chang Tang Plateau.

The group size effect and synchronization of vigilance in the Tibetan wild ass

Vigilance behavior is considered as an effective strategy for prey species to detect predators. An individual benefits from living in a group by reducing the time spent being vigilant without affecting the probability of detecting a predator. However, the mechanism producing a decrease in vigilance with increasing group size is unclear. Many models of vigilance assume that group members scan independently of one another. Yet in recent studies, the other 2 patterns of vigilance, coordination and synchronization, were reported in some species. In 2 summers (2018 and 2019), we studied the group-size effect on vigilance and foraging of Tibetan wild ass in Chang Tang Nature Reserve of Tibet. We also tested whether individuals scan the environment independently, tend to coordinate their scans, or tend to synchronize their vigilance. The results showed that individuals decreased the time spent on vigilance with increasing group size, while increased the time spent foraging. Group members scanned the environment at the same time more frequently and there was a positive correlation between group members’ behaviors, indicating that Tibetan wild asses tend to synchronize their vigilance.

Snow leopard distribution in the Chang Tang region of Tibet, China

In 2006 and 2007, the authors conducted human-wildlife conflict surveys in the Tibet Autonomous Region’s (TAR) Shainza, Nyima, and Tsonyi Counties, located in the TAR’s remote Chang Tang region. At this time, prior knowledge of the snow leopard in this vast 700,000 km2 region was limited to just eight firsthand snow leopard sign and conflict location records and 15 secondhand records. These surveys revealed a previously undocumented and growing problem of human-snow leopard conflict. The 2007 survey also yielded 39 new snow leopard conflict incident locations and 24 new snow leopard sign locations. Next, snow leopard telephone interviews and mapping exercises were conducted with Tibet Forestry Bureau staff that yielded an additional 63 and 144 new snow leopard conflict and sighting location records, respectively. These 270 new snow leopard location records, together with 39 records collected by other observers from 1988 to 2009, were compiled into a snow leopard distribution map for the Chang Tang. This effort greatly expanded knowledge of the snow leopard’s distribution in this region which remains one of the least understood of the snow leopard’s key range areas. New knowledge gained on snow leopard distribution in the Chang Tang through this exercise will help identify human-snow leopard conflict hot spots and inform design of human-snow leopard conflict mitigation and conservation strategies for northwest Tibet. Nevertheless, extensive additional field verification work will be required to definitively delineate snow leopard distribution in the Chang Tang. Importantly, since 2006, a number of major transportation infrastructure projects have made the Chang Tang more accessible, including paving of highways, new railroads, and new airports. This has led to a greatly increased number of tourists visiting western Tibet, particularly Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar. At the same time, large areas of the Chang Tang have been fenced for livestock pastures as part of government initiatives to allocate pasturelands to individual families. All three of these developments have a large potential to cause disturbance to snow leopards and their prey species, including by hindering their movements and degrading their habitat. Therefore, future conservation measures in the Chang Tang will need to insure that development activities and the growing number of visitors to the Chang Tang do not adversely affect the distribution of snow leopards and their prey species or directly degrade their habitat

Causes of domestic livestock–wild herbivore conflicts in the alpine ecosystem of the Chang Tang Plateau

Studying the causes of human–wildlife conflicts is important for reducing these conflicts. Human–wildlife conflicts can be divided into wild carnivore- and wild herbivore-related conflicts. Compared with carnivore-related conflicts, herbivore-related conflicts such as domestic livestock–wild herbivore conflicts (LHCs) have not been adequately studied, and there is scarce information on LHC intensity, causes, and impacts. LHCs frequently and extensively occur in the alpine ecosystem of the Chang Tang Plateau, China. Herbivorous wildlife competes with livestock for forage and habitat, which degrades the ecosystem, influences community livelihood, and decreases residents’ tolerance of wildlife. This study analyzed LHC causes in this plateau by focusing on forage competition, wild herbivore habitat and grazing land overlap using a comprehensive carrying capacity analysis method and niche Maxent model by integrating field surveys, statistical data, and remote sensing data. By integrating the domestic livestock with herbivorous wildlife into carrying capacity analysis, the stocking rate was 110%, which was 10% over the carrying capacity threshold. Overlap between wild herbivore habitat and domestic livestock grazing land was high, with Tibetan antelope ranging in 88% of the grazing land and domestic livestock grazing activities in 39.2% of Tibetan antelope habitat. Pasture fencing aggravated LHCs by fragmenting herbivore habitats and obstructing Tibetan antelope migration routes. LHCs in this plateau could be mitigated by extending the existing wildlife-related damage compensation scheme to cover wild herbivore-related damages, optimizing pasture fencing layout, diversifying community livelihood, and popularizing community-based wildlife management.

Human-snow leopard conflict in the Chang Tang region of Tibet, China

In April 2006, the authors conducted a preliminary human-wildlife conflict survey of 300 livestock herders in Shainza, Nyima, and Tsonyi Counties in northern Tibet's sparsely-populated Chang Tang region. This survey revealed a widespread but previously undocumented problem of snow leopard predation on livestock. In June and July 2007, an exploratory human-snow leopard conflict survey of 234 herders in the above counties found that 65.8% of respondents had experienced conflict with snow leopards in the form of livestock kills, with 77.3% of the most recent incidents occurring in the previous five years. These incidents were concentrated in winter and spring and a surprising 39.6% of incidents occurred during the day, often with herders present. Fifteen exploratory snow leopard sign transects totaling 14.85 km were conducted. Abundant snow leopard scrapes as well as pug marks were found, confirming the presence of these secretive cats. A total of 521 blue sheep were counted on and off sign transects indicating widespread availability of wild snow leopard prey. The recent surge in reported snow leopard conflict is likely due to increasing human and livestock populations, establishment of two multiple-use nature reserves accompanied by improved enforcement of wildlife protection laws, and a regional gun and trap ban launched in 2001. However, retaliatory killing of snow leopards in the survey area continues to be a potential threat. Therefore, measures are needed to reduce livestock kills by snow leopards, including corral improvements, improved guarding, establishment of livestock compensation schemes, and educating herders about snow leopard behavior.

We Are the Literati Here: The Chang Family and the Compilation of the 1258 'Ganshui Gazetteer'

We Are the Literati Here:The Chang Family and the Compilation of the 1258 'Ganshui Gazetteer' Lee Tsong-han Introduction In 1232, a local scholar named Chang Tang 常棠 completed the Ganshui Gazetteer (Ganshui zhi 澉水志), a work only nineteen pages long in the modern Zhonghua shuju edition. In 1258, with official support, he managed to have the township gazetteer published. Apparently only one of four township gazetteers written during the Song dynasty, it is also the only township gazetteer from the Song dynasty to survive. The central issue this article seeks to explain is why Chang Tang compiled the Ganshui Gazetteer during the period from the 1230s to the 1250s and how he used the still-evolving format of gazetteers to serve his own objectives and his family's.1 During the Southern Song, the compilation of prefecture gazetteers was common, but the compilation of county gazetteers, not to mention township gazetteers, was more unusual. Table 1 shows the number of gazetteers for different administrative levels compiled in the Song, based on the meticulous 2010 study of Song gazetteers by Gu Hongyi 顧宏義.2 After searching through [End Page 207] Click for larger view View full resolution Figure 1. The Location of Ganpu in the Southern Song a large body of sources and recorded any item that mentioned a gazetteer compiled in the Song, Gu found 1,031 individual titles of gazetteers. The statistics in Table 1 are based on Gu's work. After eliminating duplicates and errors, I have revised the total count of gazetteers compiled in the Song dynasty down to 988. Of these, only twenty-nine survive today. Most of these 988 Song-dynasty gazetteers were written during the Southern Song. It is noteworthy that nearly 80% of the 988 gazetteers were prefectural-level gazetteers. Although the number of counties in the Song empire was four to five times larger than the number of prefectures, the number of county gazetteers was far fewer than the number of prefectural gazetteers, comprising only 18% of the total number. The number of township gazetteers was even lower: just four, or only 0.4% of the total. At any rate, it is undeniable that township gazetteers had begun to emerge in the Southern Song, if on a very small scale relative to the publication of county and prefectural gazetteers. Due to the paucity of extant Song gazetteers, except for some general surveys,3 serious research on the history of Song gazetteers has been scarce. In his pioneering 1963 study, Aoyama Sadao argued that during the Song, [End Page 208] Click for larger view View full resolution Table 1. The Number of Gazetteers Compiled during the Song a. Gazetteers of "industrial prefectures," the translation proposed by Charles Hucker for jian 監, were gazetteers of "a prefecture-level agency in an area where the main economic enterprise was a mine, a salt yard, or something of the sort that required the special attention of local officials." See Hucker, A Dictionary of Official Titles in Imperial China (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1985), 145. gazetteers proliferated to serve the needs of a centralized bureaucratic political system, and were influenced by the rise of evidential research;4 however, it seems to me that these two factors provided the historical background but did not explain the increase in the compilation of Song gazetteers. Applying the localist turn hypothesis, both James Hargett and Peter Bol have argued that the localization of elite interests and activities influenced the compilation of Southern Song gazetteers.5 While both scholars have convincingly pointed out that local literati played an important role in Song gazetteer compilation, in my view, they have underestimated the role the state played in the process; for example, although the central government was generally passive on gazetteer compilation, most Southern Song gazetteers were still initiated and financed by local government. Current scholarship on township gazetteers has been focused on the Ming and Qing periods, which can provide a framework for comparison. Mori Masao argues that Ming and Qing township gazetteers from the Jiangnan region displayed both the self-identification of their authors with local society and their concern with the acute problems facing market townships. Mori made a sharp distinction between township...

1971~2017年羌塘国家级自然保护区蒸发量变化特征及影响因素分析

1971~2017年羌塘国家级自然保护区蒸发量变化特征及影响因素分析

Characterizing the Mass Elevation Effect across the Tibetan Plateau

It is over 110 years since the term Mass Elevation Effect (MEE) was proposed by A. D. Quervain in 1904. The quantitative study of MEE has been explored in the Tibetan Plateau in recent years; however, the spatial distribution of MEE and its impact on the ecological pattern of the plateau are seldom known. In this study, we used a new method to estimate MEE in different regions of the plateau, and, then analyzed the distribution pattern of MEE, and the relationships among MEE, climate, and the altitudinal distribution of timberlines and snowlines in the Plateau. The main results are as follows: (1) The spatial distribution of MEE in the Tibetan Plateau roughly takes on an eccentric ellipse in northwestsoutheast trend. The Chang Tang Plateau and the middle part of the Kunlun Mountains are the core area of MEE, where occurs the highest MEE of above 11°C; and MEE tends to decreases from this core area northwestward, northeastward and southward; (2) The distance away from the core zone of the plateau is also a very important factor for MEE magnitude, because MEE is obviously higher in the interior than in the exterior of the plateau even with similar mountain base elevation (MBE). (3) The impacts of MEE on the altitudinal distribution of timberlines and snowlines are similar, i.e., the higher the MEE, the higher timberlines and snowlines. The highest timberline (4600–4800 m) appears in the lakes and basins north of the Himalayas and in the upper and middle reach valleys of the Yarlung Zangbo River, where the estimated MEE is 10.2822°C–10.6904°C. The highest snowline (6000–6200 m) occurs in the southwest of the Chang Tang Plateau, where the estimated MEE is 11.2059°C–11.5488°C.

Estimating the population size of migrating Tibetan antelopesPantholops hodgsoniiwith unmanned aerial vehicles

AbstractData on the distribution and population size of the Near Threatened Tibetan antelopePantholops hodgsoniiare necessary to protect this species. Ground-based count surveys are usually carried out from a long distance to avoid disturbing the sensitive animals, and on calving grounds or along migration routes where they are seasonally concentrated. This can result in underestimation of population sizes if terrain features obstruct the view and high concentrations of animals make estimating numbers difficult. Here we test the efficacy of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for gathering population data for the Tibetan antelope. We conducted the study south of a known calving ground, at the foot of Sewu Snow Mountain, in the Chang Tang National Nature Reserve, China. The UAV did not appear to disturb the animals and resulted in more accurate counts than ground-based observations. A total of 23,063 Tibetan antelopes were identified in twelve orthoimages derived from c. 4,000 aerial photographs. In the first flight area 7,671 females and 4,353 calves were identified (proportion of calves: 36.2%). In the second flight area 7,989 females and 3,050 calves were identified (proportion of calves: 27.6%). Two flights over the same area revealed the direction and speed of moving Tibetan antelope groups. Image resolution, which can be controlled with flight planning, was an important factor in determining the animals’ visibility in the photos. We found that UAV-based surveys outperformed ground-based surveys, and that larger UAVs are preferable for this application.

Historic Migration in China: Chang Tang, from Wilderness to Inhabited Frontier Society

This article addresses migration in the late seventeenth and the eighteenth century from Eastern Tibet to Chang Tang, the enormous high-plateau in Western Tibet. Evidence is presented about the rise of an intriguingly well-regulated nomadic society, questioning the dominant, environmentally framed narrative of Chang Tang as an uninhabited wilderness. The article examines why people started migrating, sheds light on specific migratory events and their cumulative effects. The article examines nomads’ adaptation to a sacred mountain landscape, an inhospitable climate, established customary practices and contending centralised sources of religious and political authority, while drawing on their own martial ethos and diverse skill sets. In order to explain causes and outcomes of specific events, the article employs an interdisciplinary theoretical approach. This approach unravels Chang Tang as pastoral realm, sacred landscape and contested frontier – sought controlled by the lords of distant Lhasa and empires of the Western Himalayas and Central Asia.

A wild yak survey in Chang Tang of Tibet Autonomous Region and Hoh Xil of Qinghai Province

A wild yak survey in Chang Tang of Tibet Autonomous Region and Hoh Xil of Qinghai Province

Vulnerability of and risk to water resources in arid and semi-arid regions of West China under a scenario of climate change

This paper quantifies the vulnerability of and risk to water resources (VRWR) under a scenario of climate change in the arid and semi-arid region of West China. A new approach integrating hazard, sensitivity, resilience, exposure and risk is developed to assess the VRWR from climate change. Drought is regarded as the key hazard, with its frequency and severity defined using a surface humidity index. Exposure is quantitatively linked with indicators of population and social and economic characteristics using statistical and Geographical Information System (GIS) methodologies. Risk is defined as the product of hazard, exposure and vulnerability, while vulnerability is treated as a function of sensitivity and adaptation. Vulnerability and risk in the water resources system in the coming 20 years are assessed for the RCP 4.5 scenario. The results reveal that both hazard and exposure of water resources display strong spatial variation in the study area. High hazard and exposure are found in the northern Tianshan Mountain as well as the eastern part of Hexi Corridor. Water resources are particularly sensitive to variation in precipitation and potential evapotranspiration in the upstream areas of Hexi Corridor, rivers in Central Asia, headwater streams of Tarim River and most of Chang Tang Plateau. Our assessment shows that there is high vulnerability of and risk to water resources in the study area, especially in the areas of Hexi Corridor, northern Tianshan Mountain and Tarim River. Under the RCP 4.5 climate change scenario, the vulnerability and risk decline over the entire area but remain at a serious level in inland rivers in Hexi Corridor, northern Tianshan Mountain and headwater streams of Tarim River. Thus, these areas are the highest priority for strengthening policy measures to adapt to climate change and reduce exposure and vulnerability and their risk to water resources.

An assessment of endangered species habitat at large scale: chiru distribution across the Tibetan region of Chang Tang

Habitat degradation is a major threat to the survival of chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii). Detailed knowledge for habitat conservation in this steppe-dwelling ungulate is needed if effective conservation and management strategies are to be developed. The distribution of potential habitat and the relative value of habitat to chiru on a regional scale remains unknown, hindering landscape conservation planning. Our aim was to identify and rank chiru habitat across the Chang Tang region of the Tibetan Plateau. We assessed overall habitat suitability using geographical data, field surveys, and information contained within previous studies. We identified 10194 km2 of optimal habitat (1.71 % of the region), 256816 km2 of suitable habitat (43.17 % of the region), and 213799 km2 of marginal habitat (35.94 % of the region). Our habitat model shows that suitable habitat is located primarily in the central (Nyingma county and Shuanghu county) and western (Geze county) regions of the study area. When we looked specifically at a chiru reserve (Chang Tang Nature Reserve) located within the study area, we found that over half of the reserve could be classified as suitable habitat. This highlights the regional importance of this reserve to chiru conservation. Our findings further indicate that the protection of suitable habitat and improvement of habitat linkages will be important features of any regional chiru conservation plan.

Effects of ecological engineering on net primary production in the Chang Tang and Sanjiangyuan national nature reserves on the Tibetan Plateau

Long term series of remotely sensed imagery of net primary production (NPP) data could reflect ecosystem health. In this study, we employed NPP to evaluate the effects of ecological engineering (nature reserve and new ecological engineering in 2004 or 2005 techniques) by the sampling area comparison method in the Chang Tang and Sanjiangyuan national nature reserves on the Tibetan Plateau. The results showed that: (1) among the 10 pairs of sampling areas, annual NPP of 9 pairs tended to increase between 1982 and 2009; (2) the new ecological engineering techniques improved the effectiveness of ecosystem conservation, with NPP in 8 pairs of sampling areas increasing faster than before; and (3) among all alpine grassland types, the new ecological engineering techniques remarkably improved the effectiveness of conserving the meadows.

Habitat suitability for chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii): Implications for conservation management across the Tibetan region of Chang Tang

Understanding how population density relates to habitat underlies basic ecological theory and is pertinent to conservation issues. Chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii) are an endangered steppe-dwelling ungulate endemic to the Tibetan plateau. To prepare effective conservation and management strategies for this species, we require detailed knowledge of the relationship between group size and habitat conditions. We surveyed the Chang Tang region of Tibet and used data collected along vehicular line transects to record the presence and group size of chiru. Using ecological niche factor analysis, we inferred the ecological requirements of chiru in relation to a large number of topographic, vegetation, and anthropogenic variables. We used these analyses to estimate habitat suitability models and describe their optimum range. Areas favored by chiru had moderate grazing by domestic animals, gentle slopes, and villages present only at lower altitudes. Chiru showed a high level of specialization regarding the presence of villages and gentle slopes, and were negatively associated with areas of those easily accessed by people. We suggest new management measures for the long-term conservation of chiru. Specifically, we focus on the rehabilitation of natural plains for grazing by chiru, recognizing that conservation of large groups may require special efforts. For smaller groups and solitary chiru, the large tracts of unsuitable or marginal areas may expose them to different threats that could pose greater challenges for conservation management. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.

Location determination of ecologically vulnerable regions in China

Ecologically vulnerable regions in China are not only the most serious areas of environmental degradation, but also the most poverty-stricken regions. However, these regions are still undefined. Three typical factors including land desertification, soil erosion and rocky desertification were selected to establish an evaluation model of eco-environmental sensitivity by using Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Infor- mation System (GIS) technology. We conducted a comprehensive research on eco-environmental sensitivity to reveal its spatial features in a quantitative way in China, and redefine the location of ecologically vulner- able regions integrated with the existing relevant government documents and the previous research. Results are demonstrated as follows: the extremely sensitive areas are distributed in northwestern, southwestern, southeastern parts of China and loess hilly regions; the highly sensitive areas are located in the Altai Moun- tains, the Tianshan Mountains, the southern part of Yinshan Mountains, the Horqin Sandy Land, the Hulun Buir Sandy Land, the western part of Chang Tang Plateau, the Hengduan Mountains and the hilly mountains regions in Southeast China. A total of 18 ecological vulnerable regions in China were defined, comprising a total area of 2.4 million km 2 . The name, type, area, spatial distribution and the main ecological problems of each region were characterized. The spatial distribution map of ecologically vulnerable regions in China can be used as a base map for the redline delimitation of national ecological protection.

Diurnal time budget of breeding Black-necked Crane ( Grus nigricollis ) in Changthang, Ladakh, India

Diurnal time budget of breeding Black-necked Crane ( Grus nigricollis ) in Changthang, Ladakh, India

Radiocarbon Dating of Interdune Paleo‐Wetland Deposits to Constrain the Age of Mid‐to‐Late Holocene Microlithic Artifacts from the Zhongba site, Southwestern Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau

Microlithic artifacts, some found in situ, are abundant in the Zhongba archaeological site in southwestern Tibet. The site environment consists of extant wetlands and paleo‐wetland deposits found in depressions between sand dunes derived from the Yarlung Tsangpo floodplain. Constraining 14C dates from wetland vegetation and shell from one site fall between ca. 6600–2600 cal. yr B.P., while a second site is dated 3400–1200 cal. yr B.P. A significant and variable 14C reservoir effect—up to 1400 14C yr—limits these ranges to terminus post quem constraints. The in situ artifacts are supplemented by surface collections fully characterizing raw material and typological variability for each site. Raw material found at Zhongba is chert and chalcedony likely sourced from Cretaceous bedrock near the site. Typologically, microblades are nongeometric and are derived from conical and wedge‐shaped cores similar to those identified in the Qinghai Lake Basin and the Chang Tang Nature Reserve of similar or greater age. The later occupation period at Zhongba is broadly contemporaneous with sites on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau containing bronze and iron artifacts, indicating microlithic technology remained an important tool‐making strategy in western Tibet late into the protohistoric period.

Late Occupation of the High‐Elevation Northern Tibetan Plateau Based on Cosmogenic, Luminescence, and Radiocarbon Ages

10Be‐26Al cosmogenic surface exposure, optically stimulated luminescence, and radiocarbon dates from the site of Xidatan 2 (∼4300 m above sea level [asl] in the Kunlun Pass, northern Tibetan Plateau) suggest the site was intermittently and briefly occupied approximately 9200–6400 yr B.P. This age is substantially younger than expected given the late Upper Paleolithic character of the lithic assemblage, which is dominated by microlithic and unique discoidal prepared core technologies. Comparisons between Xidatan 2 and known surface lithic assemblages in the Kekexili and Chang Tang regions of the central high Plateau show not only that the latter are technologically similar to Xidatan 2, but also that they are demonstrably connected to Xidatan 2 through utilization of the same stone raw materials, which includes a chemically distinctive obsidian. Contrary to most accounts of Tibetan Plateau colonization, our results suggest that the earliest substantial occupations on the interior Tibetan Plateau above 4000 m asl may date to the Pleistocene/Holocene transition.