Tibetan plateau is considered as the
highest and largest plateau on the earth which is characterized by a cold
climate, low oxygen levels and fragile alpine ecosystems. It was noticed that
in recent decades Tibet has perceived certain strong effects due to global
warming. The rise in carbon dioxide emissions and sudden complications of
global warming has affected the current grazing regimes on the Tibetan alpine
grasslands and created obstacles for the
people of Tibet.
The Tibetan plateau is the highest (average 4000
m asl) and largest (2.57 million km2) plateau on earth. It is characterized by
a cold climate; low oxygen levels, strong ultra violet (UV) irradiation and
poor primary productivity, and has a number of fragile alpine ecosystems. In
recent decades, Tibet has witnessed strong effects from global warming,
experiencing more than twice the average global warming rate . This has raised
substantial concerns for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and soil carbon instability,
partly attributed to permafrost thaw. Livestock grazing is the most prevalent
economic activity in Tibet, and two thirds of the Tibetan plateau is comprised
of alpine grasslands .
Therefore, it is imperative to understand how livestock
grazing in Tibet contributes to GHG emissions and soil carbon stocks in
conjunction with global warming. Recent studies on the effects of current
grazing regimes in the Tibetan alpine grasslands revealed complex results. Our
study , and those of others, detected reduced CO2 emissions and/or increased
soil total organic carbon (TOC) under grazing compared with grazing exclusion
sites. Read more......
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