CSIRO PUBLISHING
www.publish.csiro.au/journals/trj
The Rangeland Journal, 2010, 32, 165–173
Spatial and temporal pattern of alpine grassland condition and its response to human activities in Northern Tibet, China Q. Z. Gao A,B, Y. F. Wan A,B, Y. Li A,B, X. B. Qin A,B, W. Jiangcun C and H. M. Xu D,E A
Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, People’s Republic of China. B Key Laboratory for Agro-Environment and Climate Change, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100081, People’s Republic of China. C Nagqu Grassland Station, Nagqu Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Bureau, Nagqu 852100, Tibet Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China. D National Climate Centre, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing 100081, People’s Republic of China. E Corresponding author. Email:
[email protected]
Abstract. The trend in condition of alpine grasslands from 1981 to 2004 in different topographic regions and with different intensities of human activity in Northern Tibet was analysed by using remote sensing data and geographic information system techniques. The results of this study showed that the condition of the alpine grasslands in 2004 varied throughout Northern Tibet. The changes in condition over this period of most of the alpine grasslands (76.7%) were without any significant trend, whereas a larger portion of the remaining area showed significant recovery then underwent significant degradation. Where significant degradation did occur it was mostly on the steeper slopes whereas significant recovery was mostly on the flatter areas ( 4
Lightly degraded (LD) Moderately degraded (MD) Severely degraded (SD) Very severely degraded (VSD)
Grassland vegetation coverage (GVC) 90% or more of UD GVC (the maximal GVC of the early 1980s in Northern Tibet), grade score = 1 GVC 75–90% of UD GVC, grade score = 2 GVC 60–75% of UD GVC, grade score = 3 GVC 30–60% of UD GVC, grade score = 4 GVC
