INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A new study has unveiled the key mechanism for alpine grassland carbon sink on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau in western China, providing
scientific underpinning for ecological security.The study, conducted by researchers from the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology (NWIPB),
under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been published in the journal Agricultural and Forest Meteorology.The Qinghai-Xizang Plateau
alpine ecosystem serves as a critical carbon sink, with its seasonal and interannual variation in carbon assimilation capacity regulated by
It is of importance to enhance understanding of the carbon cycle mechanism in this region, said He Fuquan, a researcher at the NWIPB.The
research team collected cumulative observation data from 24 sites on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.These sites are located in various
environments of the alpine grassland ecosystem – including alpine meadows, alpine wetlands, alpine shrub meadows, alpine steppes and tame
grasslands.Researchers analyzed interannual anomalies in seasonal and annual net ecosystem exchanges, carbon uptake periods, and the maximum
rate of net carbon uptake in relation to climatic variables across various alpine ecosystems.They found that alpine steppes exhibited the
longest carbon uptake period but the lowest maximum rate of net carbon uptake, while tame grasslands had a shorter carbon uptake period than
natural grasslands.Spring precipitation is the key "trigger" that initiates the carbon uptake cycle in natural grasslands
In the growing season, meanwhile, the duration of the carbon uptake period is jointly determined by early-season precipitation and the
grassland type, contributing to interannual variability and ecosystem differences in terms of net ecosystem exchange, the study
revealed.Looking ahead, the research team will focus on the impact mechanism of climate anomalies on the carbon uptake period and maximum
rate of net carbon uptake, He explained.Researchers will further improve the dynamic prediction model concerning alpine carbon sinks and
provide enhanced support for ecological security, He added.
