Degradation of Alpine Grasslands on Tibetan Plateau: Assessment, Causes, Consequences, and Restoration

Summarizes the approaches for assessing the degradation of alpine grasslands, highlighting its effects on vegetation, soil characteristics, water cycles, and ecosystem services. It examines soil carbon and nutrient distribution on the Tibetan Plateau, discusses how degradation impacts nutrient and water cycling, and explores the effects of climate change. The influence of varying moisture conditions on vegetation distribution is also analyzed, along with a quantitative summary of restoration strategies for degraded grasslands. This book serves as a valuable reference for researchers seeking to understand the current state of research in the field of alpine grassland degradation.

Key Points

- Summarizes indicators and approaches to assess the gradients of grassland degradation and introduces the use of remote sensing techniques

- Highlights the influence of grassland degradation on water distribution as well as carbon and nutrient cycles

- Reviews the role of climate change and anthropogenic activities in regulating plant characteristics and soil nutrient cycling in the context of grassland degradation

- Discusses the impact of restoration strategies on soil, vegetation, and ecosystem services of the degraded grasslands at Tibetan Plateau