Study reveals effect of climate change on growth of alpine grasslands

LANZHOU -- Chinese researchers have discovered how climate change has affected the growth patterns of grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The researchers found that climate change reshaped growth patterns of alpine plant communities by enhancing their growth rate as well as accelerating and shortening their growth period.

A paper on the study, which was conducted by a team of researchers led by He Jinsheng with Lanzhou University, has been published in the journal Ecology Letters.

The study is based on a 35-year dataset of seasonal biomass dynamics in an alpine grassland located in the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which has experienced global warming at twice the rate of the global average over the past 50 years.

The study is of significance to the protection of wildlife on the plateau, as plant growth patterns influence the ability of plant communities to provide animals with habitats and food resources, according to He.