Global Warming Impacts on Alpine Vegetation Dynamic in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China ()
ABSTRACT
This study is to illustrate alpine
vegetation dynamics in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China from simulated filed
experimental climate change, vegetation community dynamic simulation integrated
with scenarios of global temperature increase of 1 to 3°C, and simulated
regional alpine vegetation distribution changes in responses to global
warming. Our warming treatment increased air temperatures by 5°C on average and
soil temperatures were elevated by 3°C at 5 cm depth. Above- ground biomass of
grasses responded rapidly to the warmer conditions whereby biomass was 25%
greater than that of controls after only 5 wk of experimental warming. This
increase was accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in forb biomass, resulting
in almost no net change in community biomass after 5 wk. Under warmed conditions,
peak community bio-mass was extended into October due in part to continued
growth of grasses and the postponement of senescence. The Vegetation Dynamic
Simulation Model calculates a probability surface for each vegetation type, and
then combines all vegetation types into a composite map, determined by the maximum
likelihood that each vegetation type should distribute to each raster unit.
With scenarios of global temperature increase of 1°C to 3°C, the vegetation
types such as Dry Kobresia Meadow and Dry Potentilla Shrub that are adapted to
warm and dry conditions tend to become more dominant in the study area.
Share and Cite:
Zhang, Y. and Welker, J. (2014) Global Warming Impacts on Alpine Vegetation Dynamic in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China.
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
2, 54-59. doi:
10.4236/gep.2014.23007.