Variation of botanical composition, forage production and nutrient values along a grassland degradation gradient in the alpine region of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

摘要: The alpine grassland in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is an extensive rangeland ecosystem sustaining a sparse population of traditional nomadic pastoralists China. However, global climate change and anthropologic disturbances have severely degraded grasslands, consequences this degradation are largely unknown. Forage only food source for livestock region, major income herders. Therefore, it critical to assess forage quantity quality along current gradient. In study, we examined botanical composition, biomass different functional groups, grass nutritive values, classified grasses according their biological condition: lightly degraded, moderately heavily grasslands. A sharp reduction vegetative production variations plant coverage values were associated with increasing degrees grassland. Changes composition resulted lower more than less grasses. Given productive importance grassland, urgent action extremely essential protect from degradation.