Assessment of Terrestrial Ecosystem Sensitivity and Vulnerability in Tibet |
| |
| Authors: | LI Yuanzheng HAN Fengsen ZHOU Hongxuan |
| |
| Institution: | 1. School of Resources and Environment, Henan University of Economics and Law, Zhengzhou 450046, China; 2. State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Ecological environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; 3. School of Architecture & Design, China University of Mining & Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, China |
| |
| Abstract: | The Tibetan Plateau serves an important shelter function for the ecological security of Asia, and especially China. Here, we proposed and improved indicators and methods for assessing the ecological sensitivity and vulnerability of the terrestrial alpine Plateau ecosystems and assessed the freeze-thaw erosion, land desertification, water-caused soil loss, and land salinization sensitivity, together with ecological vulnerability, from the overall ecological sensitivity, ecological pressure, and elasticity aspects in Tibet. The results indicate that the terrestrial ecosystem of Tibet is quite sensitive to freeze-thaw erosion, land desertification and water-caused soil loss. Extremely and highly sensitive regions account for 9.62% and 83.69%, respectively, of the total area of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Extremely and highly vulnerable areas account for 0.09% and 52.61%, respectively, primarily distributed in the Himalayan and Gangdise mountain regions in west Tibet; the Nyainqentanglha, Tanggula, Hoh Xil, and Kunlun mountain regions; and the northwest and northern regions of the Changtang Plateau. The results will aid the development of customized protection schedules according to different ecological issues in each region. |
| |
| Keywords: | ecological elasticity ecological pressure freeze-thaw erosion land desertification land salinization water-caused soil loss |
|
| 点击此处可从《资源与生态学报（英文版）》浏览原始摘要信息 |
| 点击此处可从《资源与生态学报（英文版）》下载免费的PDF全文 |
|
