Details zur Publikation

Kategorie Textpublikation
Referenztyp Zeitschriften
DOI 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2011.03.001
Titel (primär) Plant communities of central Tibetan pastures in the Alpine Steppe/Kobresia pygmaea ecotone
Autor Miehe, G.; Miehe, S.; Bach, K.; Nolling, J.; Hanspach, J.; Reudenbach, C.; Kaiser, K.; Wesche, K.; Mosbrugger, V.; Yang, Y.P.; Ma, Y.M.
Quelle Journal of Arid Environments
Erscheinungsjahr 2011
Department BZF
Band/Volume 75
Heft 8
Seite von 711
Seite bis 723
Sprache englisch
Keywords Ecology; Grazing; Plant functional types; Qinghai Tibet plateau; Remote sensing; Steppe
Abstract

Eleven plant communities of the central Tibetan ecotone (31°20′–33°00′N/89°00′–92°10′E) between the Kobresia pygmaea grazing pastures of the eastern highlands and the open short grass steppe with cushion plants (“Alpine Steppe”) of the north-western highlands have been described on the basis of 189 plot-based floristically complete vegetation records. In parallel, remote sensing techniques distinguish four main land-use cover types. Our hypotheses are: (1) The plant communities of the central Tibetan highlands are grazing-adapted and resilient to degradation. (2) In contrast to grazing resilient plant functional types, the turf cover of the K. pygmaea pastures and the Kobresia schoenoides wetlands is degradable through desiccation, periglacial processes, soil-dwelling small mammals and livestock. Five grazing-related plant functional traits are introduced. Grazing tolerance is the prevalent functional type. Species with no specific protection against grazing make up not more than 6% of the total cover. Unpalatable plants cover up to 8%. Only the azonal K. schoenoides swamps – the indispensable winter grazing reserve – have been widely degraded and depleted by 75%, being replaced by Carex sagaensis grazing pastures. It can be foreseen that governmental policy of sedentarisation of nomads will lead to reduced grazing mobility and degradation of winter grazing reserves.

dauerhafte UFZ-Verlinkung https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=11268
Miehe, G., Miehe, S., Bach, K., Nolling, J., Hanspach, J., Reudenbach, C., Kaiser, K., Wesche, K., Mosbrugger, V., Yang, Y.P., Ma, Y.M. (2011):
Plant communities of central Tibetan pastures in the Alpine Steppe/Kobresia pygmaea ecotone
J. Arid. Environ. 75 (8), 711 - 723 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2011.03.001