Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Region Research Articles

Dataset of trend-preserving bias-corrected daily temperature, precipitation and wind from NEX-GDDP and CMIP5 over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

A bias-corrected dataset containing daily meteorological data over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been generated using a trend-preserving bias correction, the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISI-MIP) approach, with a high-quality gridded meteorological dataset based on ground observations (CN05.1). The dataset contains daily bias-corrected values of maximum/minimum near-surface air temperature, precipitation and mean near-surface wind speed from 15 models from the Fifth Phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) and a downscaled high-resolution dataset (NEX-GDDP), based on CMIP5 models, over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) during 1986–2095. This dataset provides an important reference for the study of future climate change and its impacts in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region.

Genetic diversity and structure of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum populations in the Tibetan region of Qinghai-Tibet plateau, China

Genetic diversity and structure of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum populations in the Tibetan region of Qinghai-Tibet plateau, China

Evaluation of 11 soil thermal conductivity schemes for the permafrost region of the central Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Soil thermal conductivity (λ), which describes the ability of the soil to transfer heat, is critical to understand the thermal regime of ground surfaces. In this study, in situ measurements of λ were conducted at two field sites in the permafrost region of the central Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) and the results were used to evaluate 11 schemes of λ at depths of 10–50 cm during the freeze-thaw cycle period. Our analyses revealed that λ had a remarkable seasonal variation, due to the significant effects of soil moisture content and ice-water phase changes as temperature changed during the freeze-thaw cycle period. Among the selected schemes, the Johansen scheme, its three derivatives (i.e., the He scheme, Yang scheme and Zhao scheme), and the Campbell scheme were significantly superior to others. Moreover, the Johansen scheme ranked among the top schemes for frozen soil, while the Campbell scheme gave the most accurate values for unfrozen soil. The effects of different estimation methods of quartz content (q), dry λ and the Kersten number (Ke) on the predicted schemes results were also evaluated. The results showed that, the methods used for the estimation of q and Ke had the greatest influence on the calculation results for the permafrost region. Overall, this research provides insights for the development of a λ scheme for the permafrost region of the central QTP.

Revisiting the Woolly wolf (Canis lupus chanco) phylogeny in Himalaya: Addressing taxonomy, spatial extent and distribution of an ancient lineage in Asia.

Of the sub-species of Holarctic wolf, the Woolly wolf (Canis lupus chanco) is uniquely adapted to atmospheric hypoxia and widely distributed across the Himalaya, Qinghai Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and Mongolia. Taxonomic ambiguity still exists for this sub-species because of complex evolutionary history anduse of limited wild samples across its range in Himalaya. We document for the first time population genetic structure and taxonomic affinity of the wolves across western and eastern Himalayan regions from samples collected from the wild (n = 19) using mitochondrial control region (225bp). We found two haplotypes in our data, one widely distributed in the Himalaya that was shared with QTP and the other confined to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the western Himalaya, India. After combining our data withpublished sequences (n = 83), we observed 15 haplotypes. Some of these were shared among different locations from India to QTP and a few were private to geographic locations. A phylogenetic tree indicated that Woolly wolves from India, Nepal, QTP and Mongolia are basal to other wolves with shallow divergence (K2P; 0.000-0.044) and high bootstrap values. Demographic analyses based on mismatch distribution and Bayesian skyline plots (BSP) suggested a stable population over a long time (~million years) with signs of recent declines. Regional dominance of private haplotypes across its distribution range may indicate allopatric divergence. This may be due to differences in habitat characteristics, availability of different wild prey species and differential deglaciation within the range of the Woolly wolf during historic time. Presence of basal and shallow divergence within-clade along with unique ecological requirements and adaptation to hypoxia, the Woolly wolf of Himalaya, QTP, and Mongolian regions may be considered as a distinct an Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU). Identifying management units (MUs) is needed within its distribution range using harmonized multiple genetic data for effective conservation planning.

Accelerated changes of glaciers in the Yulong Snow Mountain, Southeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The Yulong Snow Mountain (YSM) is a region of temperate glaciers in the southeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The present study systematically assessed the glacier changes during the past several decades using ground-based and remotely sensed observations and referencing topographic maps. The images and maps revealed that the glaciers area in the YSM retreated by 64.02% from 1957 to 2017. The length of Baishui River Glacier No. 1 decreased by 12.5 m/year during this period, whereas the front elevation of this glacier increased by 10.83 m/year. The mean annual mass balance of this glacier was at − 0.42 metre water equivalent from 1957 to 2017, and its accumulative mass balance was − 27.45 metre water equivalent. The glacier retreats of glacier area, glacier front, and mass balance in the YSM primarily resulted from the increasing air temperature. These glacier retreats not only will have a negative impact on glacier tourism in the future, e.g., the retreat or disappearance of glaciers will reduce the attractiveness of mountainous scenic spots, but also will create new opportunities for the development of local tourism, e.g., “last chance” will simulate tourists’ curiosity. Hence, the findings of our present study help to understand the mechanism between accelerated ablation of temperate glaciers and climate change in southeast regions of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and provide references for local tourism administrations.

Insight into unique somitogenesis of yak (Bos grunniens) with one additional thoracic vertebra

BackgroundThe yak is a species of livestock which is crucial for local communities of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and adjacent regions and naturally owns one more thoracic vertebra than cattle. Recently, a sub-population of yak termed as the Jinchuan yak has been identified with over half its members own a thoracolumbar vertebral formula of T15L5 instead of the natural T14L5 arrangement. The novel T15L5 positioning is a preferred genetic trait leading to enhanced meat and milk production. Selective breeding of this trait would have great agricultural value and exploration of the molecular mechanisms underlying this trait would both accelerate this process and provide us insight into the development and regulation of somitogenesis.ResultsHere we investigated the genetic background of the Jinchuan yak through resequencing fifteen individuals, comprising five T15L5 individuals and ten T14L5 individuals with an average sequencing depth of > 10X, whose thoracolumbar vertebral formulae were confirmed by anatomical observation. Principal component analysis, linkage disequilibrium analysis, phylogenetic analysis, and selective sweep analysis were carried out to explore Jinchuan yak’s genetic background. Three hundred and thirty candidate markers were identified as associated with the additional thoracic vertebrae and target sequencing was used to validate seven carefully selected markers in an additional 51 Jinchuan yaks. The accuracies of predicting 15 thoracic vertebrae and 20 thoracolumbar vertebrae with these 7 markers were 100.00 and 33.33% despite they both could only represent 20% of all possible genetic diversity. Two genes, PPP2R2B and TBLR1, were found to harbour the most candidate markers associated with the trait and likely contribute to the unique somitic number and identity according to their reported roles in the mechanism of somitogenesis.ConclusionsOur findings provide a clear depiction of the Jinchuan yak’s genetic background and a solid foundation for marker-assistant selection. Further exploitation of this unique population and trait could be promoted with the aid of our genomic resource.

The sequence and de novo assembly of the wild yak genome

Vulnerable populations of wild yak (Bos mutus), the wild ancestral species of domestic yak, survive in extremely cold, harsh and oxygen-poor regions of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and adjacent high-altitude regions. In this study, we sequenced and assembled its genome de novo. In total, six different insert-size libraries were sequenced, and 662 Gb of clean data were generated. The assembled wild yak genome is 2.83 Gb in length, with an N50 contig size of 63.2 kb and a scaffold size of 16.3 Mb. BUSCO assessment indicated that 93.8% of the highly conserved mammal genes were completely present in the genome assembly. Annotation of the wild yak genome assembly identified 1.41 Gb (49.65%) of repetitive sequences and a total of 22,910 protein-coding genes, including 20,660 (90.18%) annotated with functional terms. This first construction of the wild yak genome provides a variable genetic resource that will facilitate further study of the genetic diversity of bovine species and accelerate yak breeding efforts.

Warming and precipitation addition interact to affect plant spring phenology in alpine meadows on the central Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Temperature and precipitation are primary regulators of plant phenology. However, our knowledge of how these factors might interact to affect plant phenology is incomplete. The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, a cold and high region, has experienced no consistent changes in spring phenology, despite a significant warming trend. We conducted a manipulative experiment of warming and precipitation addition in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in 2015 (cold and wet), 2016 (warm and dry) and 2017 (mild and very wet). We found that warming increased annual variability of plant spring phenology. Warming delayed green up of all monitored species in 2016, advanced green up of early flowering species in 2015, and did not alter green up in 2017. For example, green up of the shallow rooted Kobresia pygmaea advanced 8 (± 2) days in 2015 and was delayed by 23 (± 3) days in a dry year (2016) under warming compared with control. Early spring precipitation addition can offset the delaying effects of warming in a dry year on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Under warming plus precipitation addition, community average green up advanced compared to control plots in 2015 and 2016, and community average flowering advanced for all three years. In 2016, flowering of K. pygmaea (an early flowering species) advanced under warming plus precipitation addition compared to control while flowering of other species did not change. Our results highlight that annual variation of soil moisture condition plays a critical role in determining the magnitude and direction of spring phenology response to warming. We provide insights in how plant spring phenology might change in a warmer future in the presence or absence of precipitation increase.

Decoupling Elasticity and Driving Factors of Energy Consumption and Economic Development in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Decoupling of energy consumption and economic development is a key factor in achieving sustainable regional development. The decoupling relationship between energy consumption and economic development in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region is still unclear. This paper uses the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) decomposition method and Tapio elastic index model to analyze the decoupling degree and driving factors of energy consumption and economic development, and evaluates the decoupling effort level in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from 2006 to 2016. The results indicate that the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region showed a weak decoupling as a whole, and that only Tibet experienced expanding negative decoupling in 2006–2007 and an expansion link in 2007–2008. Economic scale is a primary factor that hinders the decoupling of energy consumption, followed by investment intensity and industrial energy structure. The cumulative promotion effect of research and development (R&D) efficiency and intensity and the inhibition effect of investment intensity cancel each other out. With the exception of Tibet and Xinjiang, all provinces in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau have made decoupling efforts. Decoupling efforts made by R&D efficiency contributed the most, followed by energy intensity and R&D intensity. This paper provides policy recommendations for the decoupling of energy consumption experience for underdeveloped regions.

WATER VAPOR CONVERSION FACTOR OVER QINGHAI-TIBET PLATEAU REGION CONSIDERING ELEVATION, LATITUDE AND FINE SEASONAL VARIATION IS CONSTRUCTED

Abstract. In this paper, the conversion factor K model of Qinghai-Tibet plateau region was established based on the QTm model which is established using high-precision the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) Atmosphere grid data from 2007 to 2014. The model took into account the influence of elevation fluctuation and latitude change on the model, and analyzed the relevant characteristics with seasonal changes. The 2015 GGOS grid data and radiosonde data were used as the reference value for accuracy assess. The established QTm model was compared with GPT2w model in bias and RMS. Compared with GGOS grid data, the average annual bias and RMS of QTm model were -0.28K and 2.70k respectively. The RMS of GPT2w-5 and GPT2w-1 were 58.16% and 28.84% higher, respectively. Compared with radiosonde data, QTm model has 1.13k average annual bias and the RMS error of 2.92k. Compared with GPT2w-5 and GPT2w-1, the RMS value of QTm model was improved by 25.08% and 29.43%, respectively. The value of atmospheric water vapor conversion coefficient was calculated by the integral method calculated by radio sounding data in the Qinghai-Tibet region in 2015 was used as the reference value for assess the performance of conversion factor K, and compared and analyzed the conversion coefficient K which provided by QTm and GPT2w. The results show that the value of Tm provided by QTm model has the highest accuracy, which is 25.07% higher than that of GPT2w-5 and 29.42% higher than that of GPT2w-1. QTm models can achieve GPS-PWV retrieval precision of better than 2 mm. Which has potential application for high-precision real-time GNSS-PWV retrieving in Qinghai-Tibet region.

A transcriptome-based study on the phylogeny and evolution of the taxonomically controversial subfamily Apioideae (Apiaceae).

A long-standing controversy in the subfamily Apioideae concerns relationships among the major lineages, which has prevented a comprehensive study of their fruits and evolutionary history. Here we use single copy genes (SCGs) generated from transcriptome datasets to generate a reliable species tree and explore the evolutionary history of Apioideae. In total, 3351 SCGs were generated from 27 transcriptome datasets and one genome, and further used for phylogenetic analysis using coalescent-based methods. Fruit morphology and anatomy were studied in combination with the species tree. Eleven SCGs were screened out for dating analysis with two fossils selected for calibration. A well-supported species tree was generated with a topology [Chamaesieae, (Bupleureae, (Pleurospermeae, (Physospermopsis Clade, (Group C, (Group A, Group B)))))] that differed from previous trees. Daucinae and Torilidinae were not in the tribe Scandiceae and existed as sister groups to the Acronema Clade. Five branches (I-V) of the species tree showed low quartet support but strong local posterior probabilities. Dating analysis suggested that Apioideae originated around 56.64 Mya (95 % highest posterior density interval, 45.18-73.53 Mya). This study resolves a controversial phylogenetic relationship in Apioideae based on 3351 SCGs and coalescent-based species tree estimation methods. Gene trees that contributed to the species tree may undergoing rapid evolutionary divergence and incomplete lineage sorting. Fruits of Apioideae might have evolved in two directions, anemochorous and hydrochorous, with epizoochorous as a derived mode. Molecular and morphological evidence suggests that Daucinae and Torilidinae should be restored to the tribe level. Our results provide new insights into the morphological evolution of this subfamily, which may contribute to a better understanding of species diversification in Apioideae. Molecular dating analysis suggests that uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and climate changes probably drove rapid speciation and diversification of Apioideae in the QTP region.

Using the random forest model and validated MODIS with the field spectrometer measurement promote the accuracy of estimating aboveground biomass and coverage of alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Abstract Maintaining the aboveground biomass (AGB) and canopy cover (CC) of grassland is key for sustainable grassland management and rational conservation planning, especially for fragile regions of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). However, the estimation of AGB and CC with land use changes is often challenging due to poor availability of high-quality images of remote sensing or the large-scale field survey data. In this study, we used the transect survey method combining with quadrat measurements with 1200 plant samplings and near surface hyperspectral measurements at 180 sites to validate the MODIS data. An integrative approach combining the plant sampling, near surface hyperspectral measurements, remote sensing data interpretation, random forest modelling and Hurst phenomenon prediction was developed to accurately and efficiently estimate the CC and AGB of the alpine grasslands on the QTP from 2000 to 2017 and their future trends. The results showed: 1) estimation of AGB and CC in different land use types by integrating random forest with multiple factors (NDVI, latitude, longitude and altitude, grassland types) was more accurate; 2) the inter-annual changes of AGB and CC of the alpine grasslands presented significant fluctuations, with an increasing trend in the QTP; 3) the areas with improved vegetation conditions of AGB (66.55%) and CC (64.58%) were much larger than those with degraded vegetation conditions of AGB (33.45%) and CC (35.42%) in past 20 years. 4) there are 60.66% of the AGB and 59.87% of coverage showing sustainability and increasing in the future. Estimating the AGB and CC with multiple factors using the random forest and validated MODIS with the field spectrometer can improve the accuracy. The findings of this study can provide scientific basis for promoting the sustainability of grassland ecosystem through adaptive and rational management on the QTP and worldwide.

The spatiotemporal variations of soil water content and soil temperature and the influences of precipitation and air temperature at the daily, monthly, and annual timescales in China

Soil water content (SWC) and soil temperature (ST) are important properties in water-energy balance processes. Our objective was to analyze the SWC and ST variations at different soil depths (0–10, 10–40, 40–100, and 100–200 cm) and different timescales (daily, monthly, and annual) affected by precipitation and air temperature at seven sub-regions and entire mainland China. The sine function was used to fit the variations of daily and monthly ST. The results showed that the monthly and annual SWC and ST values were relatively low in northwest China and the alpine region of Qinghai-Tibetan plateau; however, higher values were shown in east China. SWC and ST fluctuated both randomly and periodically, especially at the 0–10 cm depth. The daily and monthly ST had regular time-lags and typical periodical changes, which could be fitted by a sine function for both the grids and sub-regions in China with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.855. Further, the correlations between SWC and precipitation were good in southern and northeastern China, but poor in northwestern China and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at the depths 0.76). In conclusion, the spatiotemporal distribution of SWC and ST was greatly affected by precipitation and air temperature. The fitted sine functions for daily and monthly ST are very useful for elementary determination of the long-term mean ST values for a location.

Comparative study of municipal solid waste disposal in three Chinese representative cities

China is facing severe environmental problems, the total municipal solid waste (MSW) generation has dramatically increased and presented great challenges all over the country. Cities have different characteristics in MSW components, generation quantity, influencing factors and disposal ways. Beijing, Guangzhou and Lhasa of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei economic circle, Pearl River Delta economic zone, and Qinghai-Tibet plateau regions were selected as representative cities, to compare and analyze the features, influencing factors to the MSW generation quantities, and its components by grey correlation analysis. Predictions of MSW generation quantities for Beijing, Guangzhou and Lhasa in 2025 would be 1251.22, 704.71 and 71.040 million tons, respectively, made by BP (back propagation) nerve work using MATLAB software. Results showed that the main indicators of influencing factors to MSW in three cities were all of economic development levels, population and investments of government input. Based on the analysis of internal relationship and characteristics of MSW, some barriers of MSW management were analyzed, and recommendations were given. Our study analyzed the influencing factors and forecasted quantities of MSW generation in representative cities in China, providing valuable evidences for the severe MSW disposal situation of different economic zones in China.

Fragmentation and percolation thresholds in the degradation process of alpine meadow in the Three-River Headwaters region of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China

Understanding the process and mechanisms of alpine meadow degradation is crucial for restoration and management in the Three-River Headwaters region, Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. However, little is known about this complex and controversial problem because identification and quantification of the underlying causes is difficult. This research aimed to build a spatiotemporal dynamical model for alpine meadow degradation, capturing the natural process of erosion at the interface of barren patches and undamaged meadow. The model clarified the role of barren patches and meadow connectivity in degradation, and identified the ecological mechanisms and processes accounting for the spatial and temporal pattern of degradation. A fragmentation and percolation threshold exists in the process of meadow degradation, independent of spatial scale. An impulsive differential equation was used to investigate the consequence of periodic restoration of degraded meadow. Both the level of meadow degradation and the restoration period play crucial roles in determining whether the meadow can be successfully restored. This research has demonstrated theoretically that the effectiveness of meadow restoration by periodic effort depends on the degree of degradation.

Quantitative Analyses of Nine Phenolic Compounds and Their Antioxidant Activities from Thirty-Seven Varieties of Raspberry Grown in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Region.

In this work, an efficient method for the rapid extraction and separation of antioxidant phenols was developed and optimized. The method was then applied to extract and separate nine phenols from 37 varieties of raspberry, in which their antioxidant activities were further investigated. First, the extraction was conducted using ultra-sonication, which was then further separated using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/ultraviolet (RP-HPLC/UV) analysis. In this step, several key parameters (volume of the extraction reagent, time of extraction, and the temperature of extraction) affecting its efficiency were investigated and optimized using the response surface methodology (RSM) combined with the Box–Behnken design (BBD) so that the optimal conditions were obtained. According to the overall results of the optimization study, the optimal conditions were chosen as follows: volume of extraction reagent = 2.0 mL, time of extraction = 50.0 min, and temperature of extraction = 50 °C. The optimal conditions were then applied to extract nine phenols, including gallic acid, catechin, chlorogenic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, cumaric acid, ferulic acid, rosemary acid, and quercetin from 37 raspberry varieties. The extracted phenols were characterized and their antioxidant activities, including DPPH− and ABTS− free radical scavenging and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity, using HepG2 cells as the model, were subsequently studied. The findings suggested that although their contents varied among most raspberry varieties, these phenols significantly contributed toward their antioxidant capacity and scavenging intracellular ROS activities. This study provides a scientific and theoretical basis for the selection of raspberry varieties and product development in Qinghai province.

Phylotranscriptomics resolves interspecific relationships and indicates multiple historical out-of-North America dispersals through the Bering Land Bridge for the genus Picea (Pinaceae)

A robust phylogeny is prerequisite to understand the evolution and biogeography of organisms. However, ancient and recent evolutionary radiations occurred in many plant lineages, which pose great challenges for phylogenetic analysis, especially for conifers characterized by large effective population sizes and long generation times. Picea is an important component of the dark coniferous forests in the Northern Hemisphere. Previous studies improved our understanding of its evolutionary history, but its interspecific relationships and biogeographic history remain largely unresolved. In the present study, we reconstructed a well-resolved phylogeny of Picea by comparative transcriptomic analysis based on a complete species sampling. The phylogenetic analysis, together with molecular dating and ancestral area reconstruction, further supports the North American origin hypothesis for Picea, and indicates that this genus experienced multiple out-of-North America dispersals by the Bering Land Bridge. We also found that spruces in the Japanese Archipelago have multiple origins, and P. morrisonicola from the Taiwan Island has a close relationship with species from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and adjacent regions. Our study provides the first complete phylogeny of Picea at the genomic level, which is important for future studies of this genus.

Territorial function and feasibility of the Earth’s Third Pole National Park Cluster

The concept of an Earth’s Third Pole national park cluster has been proposed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and preliminary research for this completed in the initial stage of the second scientific investigation on the plateau. Based on the theory of territorial function, it is realized that with the diversification of land use demand, limited land exerts stronger and stronger binding forces on the allocation of territorial functions. There will be more and more space with complex territorial functions, among which national parks will become a new territorial function for large-scale optimization of the development and protection pattern of land on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Currently, land development accounts for about 0.08%, of the total area in Tibet, whereas various nature reserves account for 33.9%. There are many problems in protected natural areas, such as overlapping, a large number of settlements there, and the poverty of local farmers and herdsmen. The Qinghai-Tibet plateau has become the only area of deep poverty in China. Because of these problems, four territorial functions of the proposed third pole national park cluster on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau are: Maintaining protection of the global ecological system and the diversity of human civilization and culture; reshaping the main body of the natural protection system; coordinating the human-land coupling system; and supporting sustainable livelihood and high-quality regional development. To fulfill the requirements of forming a national park cluster, this paper explores the selection conditions of potential sites and proposes some innovative evaluation ideas, such as the contribution of alternative sites to the formation of the national park cluster and the integrity of their uniqueness and interaction. Through preliminary evaluation of the representative regional space of different ecosystems provided by ecological and geographical zoning, a draft of the global third pole national park cluster is proposed. It includes 6 flagship national parks, composed of 2 transnational national parks, and 9 national parks. With a land coverage of more than 300000 square kilometers, it will be a focused, large national park cluster, with distinctive ecological characteristics, and outstanding scientific research value for recreation and tourism. Studying the reasonable capacity of national parks (cluster) is the key link in the construction feasibility study. Furthermore, the reasonable capacity calculation is expanded from the natural carrying capacity to that of the facility and the society. Carrying-capacity considerations include the dual requirements of national, and non-national park functions, and from this, a comprehensive carrying capacity calculation model is then established. The concept and algorithm of a comprehensive carrying capacity were initially applied to test the Selincuo-Puruogangri national park alternative. Preliminary results indicated that the daily capacity for tourism should not exceed 7000 people, and the annual capacity should not exceed 800000 people. Results obtained in the extremely fragile natural ecosystems of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in northern Tibet indicate that the establishment of national park cluster there has a high feasibility. The construction of a national park cluster will be a new model of sustainable development for the Qinghai-Tibet plateau region, which will help change the current “transfusion” development model relying on state financial subsidies to farmers and herdsmen. Through subsidizing projects in the construction of national parks, the degree of public participation, the level of services, and also subsidizing the contribution of ecological protection, a “hematopoietic” development model is proposed in which the more you do, the more benefit you get. Finally, a virtual circle of “ecological advantages + assets → ecological products + benefits → sustainable livelihood + development → ecological restoration + value-added” will be realized. With the intensifying of this proposition in the second scientific investigation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, a scientific basis for the special sustainable development model of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau will be achieved by the completion of a construction plan of the Earth’s Third Pole national park cluster.

Livestock grazing significantly accelerates soil erosion more than climate change in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Evidenced from 137Cs and 210Pbex measurements

Livestock grazing and climate change accelerate soil erosion in the grassland of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), China. However, the linkage of the two factors to accelerated erosion in the region has never been separated. Thus, this study was set up to determine the contribution of livestock grazing and climate change to soil erosion in the grassland of QTP. Five sites (Tuotuohe, Maduo, Maqin Dongqinggou (MQDQG), Maqin Junmuchang (MQJMC), and Maqin Jungongzhen (MQJGZ)) across 1100-km East-West transect in the Three-River Headwaters Region (TRHR) of QTP were selected for this study. The 137Cs and 210Pbex techniques were used to determine soil redistribution rates, covering a time scale of 50 and 100 years, respectively. In the last 100 years, soil accumulation was obvious in four sites (Tuotuohe, Maduo, MQDQG and MQJMC) except one site (MQJGZ), where soil erosion occurred along the transect. In the entire transect, almost no soil erosion but soil accumulation (0.25 t ha−1 yr−1) occurred over a period of 100 years. In contrast, soil erosion significantly increased by 75 times at a rate of 18.68 t ha−1 yr−1 in the last 50 years. Net soil redistribution varied significantly from −99 t ha−1 yr−1 in MQJGZ to 14.2 t ha−1 yr−1 in MQDQG over a period of last 50 years. Accelerated soil erosion across QTP significantly correlated with livestock numbers and intensive grazing activities but not significantly correlated with precipitation. Our results suggest that livestock grazing play a key role in accelerating soil erosion more than climate change in the grassland of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Spatial and temporal variations of tap water 17O-excess in China

Abstract Compared to tap water δ 2 H and δ 18 O, tap water 17 O-excess preserves additional information about source water dynamics. In this study, we provide the first report of 17 O-excess variations of tap water across China (652 samples). Annual 17 O-excess of tap waters at the national scale did not show obvious spatial pattern, and was almost unaffected by local environmental factors except in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region with a strong latitudinal trend. The mean 17 O-excess values in different seasons were not significantly different. The isotopic compositions of most of the tap waters at the annual and seasonal scale were likely influenced by the equilibrium fractionation effect (δ′ 18 O-δ′ 17 O slope ranged from 0.5277 to 0.5301), except for the northwest region in the summer (slope = 0.5264) influenced by kinetic fractionation associated with re-evaporation effect. Based on the information of tap water source distribution, site aridity index and the known precipitation δ 18 O values, a subset of the tap water can be considered as precipitation proxy. Different from the obvious spatial characteristics of precipitation δ 18 O, precipitation 17 O-excess did not show a clear spatial pattern. But it revealed much detailed precipitation formation mechanisms related to different climate regions and geographical conditions. The lower 17 O-excess values of the precipitation-sourced tap waters were caused by kinetic fractionation associated with supersaturation process in snow or glacier formation and re-evaporation effect in some arid regions. The higher 17 O-excess values of the precipitation-sourced tap waters in the inland were caused by continental moisture recycling, while likely caused by multiple factors in the southeast coastal region including short transport from ocean source and the humid local environment. Overall, this study provides a unique tap water 17 O-excess dataset across China, and probes the precipitation formation mechanisms using tap waters.