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Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology ›› 2020, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (6): 2109-2118.doi: 10.13287/j.1001-9332.202006.002

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Vegetation and soil characteristics of degraded alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibet Pla-teau, China: A review

LI Jun-hao1,2, YANG Guo-jing1*, WANG Shao-ping3   

  1. 1Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China;
    2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
    3Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences/State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
  • Received:2019-11-26 Online:2020-06-15 Published:2020-06-15
  • Contact: * E-mail: ygj7518@163.com
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41671187) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences Strategic Pilot Science (Class A) (XDA20020401).

Abstract: Alpine meadows account for 46.7% of grassland area on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which is an important part of grasslands in China. Under the effects of climate change and human activities in recent years, alpine meadow has been degraded seriously. Vegetation and soil have shown different degradation trends. At large spatial scales, the degraded alpine meadows are characterized by decreases of vegetation coverage, increases of weed vegetation, soil degradation and even desertification. At the micro-scale, soil particle size, soil microorganisms, and soil enzymes in degraded alpine meadows changed. We analyzed the changes of vegetation and soil during the degradation of alpine meadow ecosystems by considering species diversity, plant community structure, plant biomass, soil physical properties, soil microorganisms, soil enzymes, and soil nutrients. We put forward some uncertainties in the current research and problems that needed further study. This review provided a scientific basis for a comprehensive understanding of the degradation mechanisms and patterns of alpine meadows, effective intervention in alpine meadow, and restoration of ecological function.