The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Climate change, human activity, and plant diversity

doi:10.1016/j.pld.2025.10.007

Plant Diversity ›› 2025, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (06): 852-865.DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2025.10.007

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The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Climate change, human activity, and plant diversity

Yang Yang^a,b, Jianguo Chen^a,b, Bo Song^a,b, Yazhou Zhang^b, Yang Niu^a,b, Zihan Jiang^a,b, Hang Sun^b

a State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China;
b Yunnan Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China

Received:2024-12-04 Revised:2025-10-31 Online:2026-01-13 Published:2026-01-13
Contact: Hang Sun,E-mail:sunhang@mail.kib.ac.cn
Supported by:
Hang Sun acknowledges the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research program (2024QZKK0200), the Key Projects of the Joint Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U23A20149) and Yunnan Key R&D Program (202403AC00028) for supporting the field excursion, samples collections and ecological experiment in QTP. Rest co-authors acknowledge the Yunnan Innovation Team Project (202305AS350004 to Yang Yang), the Young Academic and Technical Leader Raising Foundation of Yunnan Province (202205AC160053 to Jianguo Chen), the CAS “Light of West China” Program (xbzg-zdsys-202319 to Bo Song), Yunnan Revitalization Talent Support Program “Young Talent” Project (to Yazhou Zhang), National Youth Talent Support Program (to Yang Niu) and Post-doctoral (oversea) Fund of Ministry of Education of China (to Zihan Jiang).

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Climate change, human activity, and plant diversity

Yang Yang^a,b, Jianguo Chen^a,b, Bo Song^a,b, Yazhou Zhang^b, Yang Niu^a,b, Zihan Jiang^a,b, Hang Sun^b

a State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China;
b Yunnan Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China

通讯作者: Hang Sun,E-mail:sunhang@mail.kib.ac.cn
基金资助:
Hang Sun acknowledges the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research program (2024QZKK0200), the Key Projects of the Joint Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U23A20149) and Yunnan Key R&D Program (202403AC00028) for supporting the field excursion, samples collections and ecological experiment in QTP. Rest co-authors acknowledge the Yunnan Innovation Team Project (202305AS350004 to Yang Yang), the Young Academic and Technical Leader Raising Foundation of Yunnan Province (202205AC160053 to Jianguo Chen), the CAS “Light of West China” Program (xbzg-zdsys-202319 to Bo Song), Yunnan Revitalization Talent Support Program “Young Talent” Project (to Yazhou Zhang), National Youth Talent Support Program (to Yang Niu) and Post-doctoral (oversea) Fund of Ministry of Education of China (to Zihan Jiang).

Abstract

Abstract: As the highest and largest plateau in the world, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) covers wide geological, topographical and climatic gradients and thus acts as a major center for biodiversity and houses a diverse array of high elevation ecosystems. Together these factors make the QTP a critical ecological shield for Asia. However, the composition, structure and function of plant diversity in QTP has experienced profound changes in recent decades. Long-term on-site monitoring, field experiments, remote sensing, and simulations have led to significant advances in our understanding of how plant diversity on the QTP has responded to climate change and human activity. This review synthesizes findings from previous researches on how climate change and human activity have impacted plant diversity on the QTP. We identify gaps in our knowledge and highlight the need for interdisciplinary studies, long-term monitoring networks, and adaptive management strategies to enhance our knowledge and safeguard the QTP’s biodiversity amid accelerating global climate change.

Key words: Global change, Anthropocene, Plant diversity, High altitudinal ecosystem, Qinghai-Tibet plateau (QTP)

摘要： As the highest and largest plateau in the world, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) covers wide geological, topographical and climatic gradients and thus acts as a major center for biodiversity and houses a diverse array of high elevation ecosystems. Together these factors make the QTP a critical ecological shield for Asia. However, the composition, structure and function of plant diversity in QTP has experienced profound changes in recent decades. Long-term on-site monitoring, field experiments, remote sensing, and simulations have led to significant advances in our understanding of how plant diversity on the QTP has responded to climate change and human activity. This review synthesizes findings from previous researches on how climate change and human activity have impacted plant diversity on the QTP. We identify gaps in our knowledge and highlight the need for interdisciplinary studies, long-term monitoring networks, and adaptive management strategies to enhance our knowledge and safeguard the QTP’s biodiversity amid accelerating global climate change.

关键词: Global change, Anthropocene, Plant diversity, High altitudinal ecosystem, Qinghai-Tibet plateau (QTP)

Yang Yang, Jianguo Chen, Bo Song, Yazhou Zhang, Yang Niu, Zihan Jiang, Hang Sun. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Climate change, human activity, and plant diversity[J]. Plant Diversity, 2025, 47(06): 852-865.

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The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Climate change, human activity, and plant diversity

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Climate change, human activity, and plant diversity

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