High Alpine Meadows Research Articles

Different fates and retention of deposited NH4+ and NO3− in the alpine grasslands of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau

The fate and redistribution of nitrogen in terrestrial ecosystems are of paramount significance to nitrogen cycling. Nevertheless, the destiny and content of nitrate (NO3–) and ammonium (NH4+) in grassland ecosystems in the context of atmospheric nitrogen deposition remain unclear. This study utilized field-based 15N tracing experiments to investigate the fate of NO3– and NH4+ in a high alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau over three growing seasons, elucidating the patterns of nitrogen allocation in plant stems, roots, and soil. The results indicate that: 1) NO3– and NH4+ exhibit distinct behaviors and distribution patterns in the high alpine grassland ecosystem, with significantly higher plant uptake capacity for NH4+ than for NO3–; 2) Nitrogen was primarily concentrated in the 0–15 cm soil layer during the first two growing seasons, shifting to the 15–30 cm soil layer in the third growing season; 3) Total nitrogen recovery decreased progressively from the first to the third growing season. In summary, with the progression of the growing season, the majority of nitrogen is retained in the soil, and the retained nitrogen is redistributed to aboveground and root components of plants through the soil, with plants exhibiting a preference for NH4+ uptake.

Drastic decline of extensive grassland species in Central Europe since 1950: Forester moths of the genus Jordanita (Lepidoptera, Zygaenidae) as a type example.

The decline of biodiversity in general and of insect diversity in particular has been recognized as a major environmental problem in recent years. In this study, we analyze the distribution and the decline of populations of forester moths of the genus Jordanita in Central Europe since 1950 as a type example of the loss of grassland biodiversity, and discuss potential drivers causing this decline. Based on the extensive work in museums and private collections, a literature review and own observations, and including data as far back as 1834, this genus helps to understand the deeper reasons of insect population and biodiversity decline, as the well investigated six Central European species cover a broad range of extensive grassland habitats (fens to low‐production grassland and xerothermic steppes) from low altitudes to high alpine meadows. Therefore, they monitor processes relevant also to other, less investigated grassland species. Although there are differences in research intensity over time and in different natural areas, we show that in the whole of Central Europe, the populations of all six investigated Jordanita species broke down massively in the past decades, both in terms of number of populated habitats (about 400 recorded localities after the year 2000 compared with a total number of about 1600 at all times, cumulated for all six species) and in terms of number of individuals. On the other hand, some natural areas on a regional scale have more or less maintained their Jordanita populations, due to conservative land use and due to the early implementation of conservation and protection management plans. The reasons of decline are manifold and monitored in detail by the different species with their different habitat requirements. They comprise (1) loss of habitats due to land use changes (both intensification and abandonment), (2) loss of habitats due to urbanization and construction work, (3) loss of habitat networks to cope with small‐scale extinction events, (4) more intensive growth of grass at the expense of other plants in otherwise undisturbed habitats due to fertilization through the air (increased nitrogen levels due to human activities) and (5) use of pesticides.

Protecting the Identity of Sheep-Farming Landscapes in the Outer Carpathians: A Typology, Delimitation, and Interpretation

The article sets out to identify, delimit, and interpret the sheep-farming landscapes of Wallachian origin that lie within the area of medium and low mountain ranges of the Outer Carpathians and that share a uniform geological and morphological structure (the Flysch Carpathians). The subjects of the research are the mid-forest clearings and the farm buildings erected on them, which form a specific type of landscape on which sheep farming has identifiable impacts. The article is an attempt to elaborate a typology of sheep farming and the mixed pastoral/agricultural, sheltering and sheep-farming (Polish: <i>polaniarskie</i>) landscapes of the subecumene zone based on the structure and function of the economic activity on those landscapes. Sheepfarming landscapes are those shaped by the pastoral-agricultural economy in the mountain regions of the Carpathians. The study responds to the need to interpret areas and forms of sheep farming with the aim of protecting not only the unique heritage of the Wallachian shepherds’ lifestyle and culture but also the landscapes resulting from the European Landscape Convention (October 20, 2000). These landscapes are disappearing rapidly due to the unprofitability of rearing livestock, and they are becoming relics and being absorbed through natural forest succession. Preserving the practices and unique history and culture of Carpathian sheep-farming landscapes, including those in the Outer Carpathians, will allow for the protection of not only the landscapes’ identity but also the heritage of the Wallachian highlanders and their biodiverse high alpine meadows. In line with innovative ethnographic research methods, the study’s first stage consisted of taking stock of sheep-farming areas by combining cartographic materials supported by remote sensing with source materials collected through interviews with living witnesses of sheepfarming practices. Sheep-farming landscapes within the Outer Carpathians have a complex historical and cultural structure strongly linked to its current socioeconomic situation. Yet, the sheep-farming landscape of this mountain region has yet to be defined architecturally and physiognomically as a type of rural agricultural landscape. With the aim of promoting the preservation of the region’s sheep-farming landscapes, the article presents its complex structure and function, along with the conditions needed to maintain it. The abandonment of mid-forest clearings would have implications beyond sheep-farming landscapes: it would also result in a lack of viewing opportunities within the mountain landscape, resulting in a loss of beauty and visual value that would impact the status of the Carpathians as a priority landscape.

New data on some high-altitude protected insect species in northern Transbaikalia

The paper presents data on registration of two regionally protected insects in the north of Zabaykalsky krai. Observations were made in summer 2019-2021 in Kalarsky district of Zabaykalsky krai on the Ridges Udokan and Kodar. Parnassius eversmanni and Parnassius phoebus are characteristic and common species of high alpine meadows of the study area, especially at the Kodar Ridge between the Apsat and Sredny Sakukan Rivers. This area is not part of the Kodar National Park and requires attention for conservation of rich high altitude ecosystems that include the studied insect species.

Collecting Ophiocordyceps sinensis: an emerging livelihood strategy in the Garhwal, Indian Himalaya

In the Garhwal of Uttarakhand, India, the Bhotiya, an ethnically and culturally distinct tribal group, were historically engaged in seasonal migration (i.e. transhumance) to take advantage of scarce mountain resources and trade relations with Tibet. This livelihood practice has all but disappeared. Households are adapting to these changing circumstances by engaging in the collection and sale of the valuable alpine medicinal fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis, widely known as Cordyceps. The collection of this fungus has exploded, emerging as a lucrative yet high-risk livelihood strategy for many Bhotiya communities. The Bhotiyas’ historic herding and trade-based interactions and knowledge of these alpine environments where Cordyceps are found uniquely positions them to access this valuable biological resource. Elsewhere in the Himalayan region, some households are earning as much as two-thirds of their income from the collection of Cordyceps; in China Cordyceps is now listed as an endangered species due to intense over-exploitation in the Tibetan Plateau. This paper seeks to fill the void in the scientific literature on the social, ecological and economic aspects of the emerging Cordyceps trade in the Garhwal. Our study investigates the socio-spatial dimensions of Cordyceps collection in the high alpine meadows. We document how a fusion of local knowledge and practice with alpine mountain systems has served to reinvigorate the economic integrity of mountain communities at a time of rapid socio-economic change and to reimagine a new relationship between alpine resources and community well-being. The article offers suggestions to address the sustainability of both Cordyceps collection and livelihood activities which hinge on this fungus population. We find a need for (1) community-based conservation measures that are rooted in (2) secure resource access rights for local communities to continue sustainable collection and sale of Cordyceps and (3) participatory-and science-based processes for determining appropriate local collection numbers.

Debris flow behaviour and travel distance: Col du Sabot, France

The physical characteristics and behaviour of a small-magnitude debris flow are reported for an event at Col du Sabot, France. The event occurred on a high alpine meadow. Entrainment and deposition took place along the path, which yielded a relatively small peak cumulative flow volume of nearly 200 m3 and a travel distance of 344 m to the point of terminal deposition. Volume change along the event path, from point of origin, was simulated using the model UBCDFLOW. The model determines travel distance as the point along the path of movement where the cumulative flow volume diminishes to zero. A comparison of the modelled travel distance with the actual distance from field observations shows excellent agreement.

Vegetation and climate history reconstructed from an alpine lake in central Tienshan Mountains since 8.5 ka BP

Abstract High mountains are humid islands in arid central Asia, and alpine vegetation is sensitive to climate change, especially to temperature variations. Here we present a palynological sequence and discuss the past vegetation and climate changes based on core BY10A from the Swan Lake, an alpine lake situated at an inter-montane basin in the central Tienshan Mountains, Xinjiang, northwestern China. We collected 52 modern pollen surface samples at different elevations to aid in the interpretation of fossil-pollen data, which provide a reconstruction of vegetation and climate history for the last 8.5 ka (1 ka = 1000 cal yr BP). Artemisia and Amaranthaceae (= Chenopodiaceae) are the main pollen types in desert steppe zone below 1800 m elevation, while Poaceae and Picea dominate the mid-elevation forest steppe zone (1800–2800 m). Cyperaceae is the main indicator of high alpine meadows (> 2800 m). From 8.5 to 6.9 ka, the vegetation was steppe meadow suggesting relatively warm climate. From 6.9 to 2.6 ka generally high values of Cyperaceae and peaty sediments indicate a fen environment and cooler, more humid conditions. Interrupting this mid-Holocene period is a 5.5–4.5 ka millennium of lacustrine sediments with lower Cyperaceae, higher Poaceae and Artemisia , and high values of Myriophyllum and Pediastrum indicating higher water levels and warmer temperatures. After 2.6 ka, pollen data indicate alpine steppe and warmer climate. The mid-Holocene pattern of cooler climate interrupted by a warmer period is consistent from other regional records from Xinjiang, including the Guliya ice core and Kesang Cave speleothem record. During the cooler periods, the regional record indicates that a weakened summer Asian monsoon is countered to some extent by a stronger winter monsoon.

Dominance hierarchies, diversity and species richness of vascular plants in an alpine meadow: contrasting short and medium term responses to simulated global change.

We studied the impact of simulated global change on a high alpine meadow plant community. Specifically, we examined whether short-term (5 years) responses are good predictors for medium-term (7 years) changes in the system by applying a factorial warming and nutrient manipulation to 20 plots in Latnjajaure, subarctic Sweden. Seven years of experimental warming and nutrient enhancement caused dramatic shifts in dominance hierarchies in response to the nutrient and the combined warming and nutrient enhancement treatments. Dominance hierarchies in the meadow moved from a community being dominated by cushion plants, deciduous, and evergreen shrubs to a community being dominated by grasses, sedges, and forbs. Short-term responses were shown to be inconsistent in their ability to predict medium-term responses for most functional groups, however, grasses showed a consistent and very substantial increase in response to nutrient addition over the seven years. The non-linear responses over time point out the importance of longer-term studies with repeated measurements to be able to better predict future changes. Forecasted changes to temperature and nutrient availability have implications for trophic interactions, and may ultimately influence the access to and palatability of the forage for grazers. Depending on what anthropogenic change will be most pronounced in the future (increase in nutrient deposits, warming, or a combination of them both), different shifts in community dominance hierarchies may occur. Generally, this study supports the productivity–diversity relationship found across arctic habitats, with community diversity peaking in mid-productivity systems and degrading as nutrient availability increases further. This is likely due the increasing competition in plant–plant interactions and the shifting dominance structure with grasses taking over the experimental plots, suggesting that global change could have high costs to biodiversity in the Arctic.

Occurrence of a Mediterranean species in Central Europe and Asia, with notes on the generic status and biogeography of Simkinia and Hemileius (Acari: Oribatida)

The present paper deals with a species of oribatid mite, Hemileius humeralis Pérez-Iñigo jr., 1990, which was previously known from the Mediterranean region, and was recently found in the high mountains of Central Europe and Central Asia. The species is redescribed with detailed illustrations based on adults. Its ecology and geographical distribution places this species in varying habitats from high alpine meadow to lowland grassland in the western Palaearctic region. An extensive discussion on the taxonomic status of Simkinia and Hemileius is provided. Both taxa are treated here as subgenera of Scheloribates. Data on the biogeography of the members of these subgenera are discussed. It seems that the range and habitats of known species of Scheloribates (Simkinia) are in accordance with the concept of the Old Mediterranean Region. The majority of species of Scheloribates (Hemileius) show restricted distributions within one biogeographical region, mainly in the Palaearctic, Nearctic or Neotropical regions. The Mediterranean area is outstanding by a high species diversity.

Occurrence of a Mediterranean species in Central Europe and Asia, with notes on the generic status and biogeography of Simkinia and Hemileius (Acari: Oribatida)

The present paper deals with a species of oribatid mite, Hemileius humeralis Pérez-Iñigo jr., 1990, which was previously known from the Mediterranean region, and was recently found in the high mountains of Central Europe and Central Asia. The species is redescribed with detailed illustrations based on adults. Its ecology and geographical distribution places this species in varying habitats from high alpine meadow to lowland grassland in the western Palaearctic region. An extensive discussion on the taxonomic status of Simkinia and Hemileius is provided. Both taxa are treated here as subgenera of Scheloribates. Data on the biogeography of the members of these subgenera are discussed. It seems that the range and habitats of known species of Scheloribates (Simkinia) are in accordance with the concept of the Old Mediterranean Region. The majority of species of Scheloribates (Hemileius) show restricted distributions within one biogeographical region, mainly in the Palaearctic, Nearctic or Neotropical regions. The Mediterranean area is outstanding by a high species diversity.

Driving forces of mid-Holocene vegetation shifts on the upper Tibetan Plateau, with emphasis on changes in atmospheric CO 2 concentrations

Numerous pollen records across the upper Tibetan Plateau indicate that in the early part of the mid-Holocene, Kobresia-rich high-alpine meadows invaded areas formerly dominated by alpine steppe vegetation rich in Artemisia. We examine climate, land-use, and CO 2 concentration changes as potential drivers for this marked vegetation change. The climatic implications of these vegetational shifts are explored by applying a newly developed pollen-based moisture-balance transfer-function to fossil pollen spectra from Koucha Lake on the north-eastern Tibetan Plateau (34.0°N; 97.2°E; 4540 m a.s.l.) and Xuguo Lake on the central Tibetan Plateau (31.97°N; 90.3°E; 4595 m a.s.l.), both located in the meadow-steppe transition zone. Reconstructed moisture-balances were markedly reduced (by ∼150–180 mm) during the early mid-Holocene compared to the late-Holocene. These findings contradict most other records from the Indian monsoonal realm and also most non-pollen records from the Tibetan Plateau that indicate a rather wet early- and mid-Holocene. The extent and timing of anthropogenic land-use involving grazing by large herbivores on the upper Tibetan Plateau and its possible impacts on high-alpine vegetation are still mostly unknown due to the lack of relevant archaeological evidence. Arguments against a mainly anthropogenic origin of Kobresia high-alpine meadows are the discovery of the widespread expansion of obviously ‘natural’ Kobresia meadows on the south-eastern Tibetan Plateau during the Lateglacial period indicating the natural origin of this vegetation type and the lack of any concurrence between modern human-driven vegetation shifts and the mid-Holocene compositional changes. Vegetation types are known to respond to atmospheric CO 2 concentration changes, at least on glacial–interglacial scales. This assumption is confirmed by our sensitivity study where we model Tibetan vegetation at different CO 2 concentrations of 375 (present-day), 260 (early Holocene), and 650 ppm (future scenario) using the BIOME4 global vegetation model. Previous experimental studies confirm that vegetation growing on dry and high sites is particularly sensitive to CO 2 changes. Here we propose that the replacement of drought-resistant alpine steppes (that are well adapted to low CO 2 concentrations) by mesic Kobresia meadows can, at least, be partly interpreted as a response to the increase of CO 2 concentration since 7000 years ago due to fertilization and water-saving effects. Our hypothesis is corroborated by former CO 2 fertilization experiments performed on various dry grasslands and by the strong recent expansion of high-alpine meadows documented by remote sensing studies in response to recent CO 2 increases.

The Montane Bee Fauna of North Central Washington, USA, with Floral Associations

The mountains of north central Washington contain a variety of habitat types, from shrubsteppe to high alpine meadows. While native bee surveys of some surrounding areas like the Columbia Basin are fairly complete, little work has been done in the mountains of north central Washington to document the diversity of bees found therein. We conducted a survey of native bees in the Tonasket Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest during summer 2004. Collections yielded a diverse bee fauna (140 species in 24 genera) visiting diverse floral elements (57 plant species in 18 families). These preliminary data suggest that a rich bee fauna exists in the Okanogan Basin and surrounding mountains.

Evaluating the indicator value of Tibetan pollen taxa for modern vegetation and climate

Pollen taxa of known indicator value are of great potential in the qualitative interpretation of pollen diagrams. Here we apply several numerical approaches to a lake-sediment based pollen data-set from the eastern and central Tibetan Plateau (112 samples) to assess the indicator value of Tibetan pollen taxa for modern vegetation types and for modern climate. Results from Multi-Response Permutation Procedures indicate that the differences between groups of pollen spectra originating from the same vegetation type (temperate desert, temperate steppe, alpine desert, alpine steppe, high-alpine meadow, subalpine shrub, and patchy forest) are statistically significant. Indicator Species Analyses identify several indicator taxa for most vegetation types. Multivariate regression tree analysis indicates that about 390 mm of annual precipitation is the most critical threshold for the modern pollen spectra. This roughly separates desert and steppe vegetation from high-alpine meadow, subalpine shrub, and patchy forest vegetation. A strong pollen–climate relationship on the Tibetan Plateau is confirmed by the large number of statistically significant pollen taxa–climate (annual precipitation or/and annual temperature) relationships as evaluated by statistical response-modelling, involving generalised linear models.

Holocene land-cover changes on the Tibetan Plateau

Information on changes in land-surface features on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) during the Holocene may help our understanding of the forcing of monsoonal circulation. We analyse vegetation changes during the last 9000 years from pollen records of four lakes (Hurleg Lake in the Qaidam Basin; Qinghai Lake on the northeastern TP; Zigetang Lake on the central TP and Koucha Lake on the eastern TP) which represent different regions and vegetation types on the Plateau today. A set of modern pollen assemblages from 111 lake sediment samples originating from different vegetation types is used for the interpretation of the Holocene pollen records. Four types of numerical analyses are used to infer different aspects of pollen-stratigraphical and inferred vegetation changes: biome reconstruction; ordination (to infer palynological compositional turnover); rate-of-assemblage-change analysis, and a pollen-LAI (leaf area index) transfer function. Our results show strong regional differences in inferred vegetation change in terms of timing, strength and the nature of change. The greatest changes in compositional turnover and LAI are found in the Qinghai Lake record, indicating that forests were replaced by steppe vegetation in a step-wise fashion since the mid Holocene. Alpine steppe vegetation on the central and eastern TP was relatively stable throughout the Holocene, only showing a gradual replacement of temperate steppe by high-alpine meadows. The Qaidam Basin was dominated by temperate desert throughout the Holocene. The documented palynological and inferred vegetation changes can be most parsimoniously explained by climate change, although human impacts cannot be excluded as a contributing factor. Comparison of our findings with sensitivity analyses of numerical climate simulations suggests that long-term vegetation change may have had only a weak influence on regional climate change on the Tibetan Plateau.

Importance of water quality on plant abundance and diversity in high-alpine meadows of the Yerba Loca Natural Sanctuary at the Andes of north-central Chile

Los megadepositos de porfidos de Cu-Mo han influido sobre la calidad de las aguas superficiales en las zonas altoandinas del centro-norte de Chile desde el Mioceno. Estas alteraciones en la calidad de las aguas podrian afectar negativamente a la vegetacion presente en las vegas altoandinas, ya que las aguas acidas y ricas en metales son altamente toxicas para las plantas. En este estudio se evaluo el efecto de la calidad de las aguas en la abundancia y diversidad floristica de las vegas altoandinas del Santuario de la Naturaleza Yerba Loca (SNYL), en Chile central (33° 15' S, 70° 18' O). Se realizaron prospecciones hidroquimicas y botanicas en las vegas de Piedra Carvajal, Chorrillos del Plomo y La Lata, durante las estaciones de crecimiento de 2006 y 2007. Se realizo un analisis directo de gradiente a traves del Analisis de Correspondencia Canonica (CCA) para buscar relaciones entre los parametros quimicos del agua y los parametros botanicos. Se encontro una alta variabilidad quimica del agua tanto dentro como entre las vegas, particularmente en cuanto a pH, sulfatos, conductividad electrica, dureza y contenidos totales disueltos de Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb y Fe. Los datos de abundancias especificas y los parametros quimicos del agua sugieren que el pH y el contenido de Cu total disuelto son factores importantes en determinar los cambios en la abundancia y la diversidad de las especies vegetales en las vegas estudiadas. Por ejemplo, Festuca purpurascens, Colobanthus quitensis y Arenaria rivularis son abundantes en ambientes de aguas con altos contenidos de Cu, mientras que Festuca magellanica, Patosia clandestina, Plantago barbata, Werneria pygmea y Erigeron andicola son abundantes en lugares de aguas con bajos contenidos de Cu.

Keystone status of plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae): Effect of control on biodiversity of native birds

The plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) of the Qinghai–Xizang (Tibetan) plateau, People's Republic of China, has been considered a pest because it putatively competes with native livestock for forage and contributes to rangeland degradation. As a result the plateau pika has been poisoned across vast areas of the high alpine meadows of the plateau. The plateau pika has also been considered a keystone species for biodiversity on the plateau. As one test of the keystone species hypothesis, we investigated the effects of poisoning plateau pikas on avian species richness and abundance. We conducted standardized censuses of birds on a number of sites across the alpine grassland of Qinghai province on which pikas either had or had not been poisoned. Avian species richness and abundance were higher on non-poisoned sites, in particular for species that nest in pika burrows such as Hume's groundpecker (Pseudopodoces humilis) and six species of snowfinch (Montifringilla spp., Pyrgilauda spp.), and species that prey on pikas (upland buzzard, Buteo hemilasius; black-eared kite, Milvus lineatus). The plateau pika thus appears to be both an allogenic engineer and a keystone species. Poisoning pikas reduces biodiversity of native species on the Qinghai–Xizang plateau, therefore management decisions concerning plateau pikas should reflect caution and careful assessment.

Der Schreiadler (Aquila pomarina) als Hochgebirgsjäger im Kaukasus

The Lesser Spotted Eagle, which in Central, East and South-East Europe inhabits humid lowlands and hilly ground, has been regularly observed in the Caucasus, north-west Georgia, USSR, hunting over high alpine meadows above the treeline, 2,300 to 3,100 m above sea level.

Distribution, activity, life‐history and standing crop of Julidae (Diplopoda, Myriapoda) in the Central High Alps (Tyrol, Austria)*

The research area includes subalpine meadows, alder communities, dwarf‐shrub heaths, lichen heaths and highalpine meadows (1960 m–3090 m a.s.l.). The material consists of 4419 Julidae (31.6% adult) collected by extraction of litter samples (66.4%), in pitfall traps (26.3%) and by handsampling (7.3%). Cylindroiulus meinerti (Verhoeff) only occurred below 2000 m; Leptoiulus saltuvagus (Verhoeff) was mainly found at Alnus viridis sites; Leptoiulus simplex (Verhoeff) had its main distribution in the lichen heath (2200‐2300 m); Ommatoiulus sabulosus (L.) was found most frequently in the subalpine meadow and Leptoiulus alemannicus (Verhoeff) occurred up to 2800 m without any altitudinal concentration.Adults of L. saltuvagus showed only one distinct activity peak in September, those of L. simplex were diplochronous (June/September) and O. sabulosus summer stenochronous (July). L. saltuvagus reached maturity in stage IX (only males), X or XI after four or five Years. In their first year of growth the members of a generation reached the third or fourth stage, in the second year the sixth or seventh, in the third year the eighth or ninth. Females could carry full‐sized eggs in the autumn of the fourth year in the tenth stage or in the fifth year in stage eleven. Apparently eggs may be laid in spring of the fifth or sixth year. Overwintering density of L saltuvagus in alder litter was found to be 215.6 ± 38.7 inds m−2, the mean biomass 1.16 g m−2(max. 1.88 g m−2). Mean annual production during the growth period of 4‐5 months was in the order of 0.85 g m−2 (max. 1.36 g m−2).