The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is the highest biogeographic unit on earth and widely regarded as its ‘third pole＇.The high-altitude,frigid and arid alpine ecosystems that form the Plateau are extremely sensitive to cli...The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is the highest biogeographic unit on earth and widely regarded as its ‘third pole＇.The high-altitude,frigid and arid alpine ecosystems that form the Plateau are extremely sensitive to climate change and human disturbance.Unsurprisingly,the Plateau is therefore a global epicenter of ecological and global change research and provides the ideal conditions and context to study the impacts of global change.Ecological research conducted on the Plateau can be partitioned into four developmental and chronological phases,beginning with the gathering of primitive knowledge and progressing towards a description of mechanistic processes.Throughout the course of Plateau research paradigm shifts from standalone surveys of biogeographic patterns to fixed monitoring and mechanism research;from isolated population,community and ecosystem approaches to more integrated,multidisciplinary research;and from pure theoretical research to an emphasis on effective resource utilization and sustainable development.Future ecological research will likely pay increasing attention to quantifying the impacts of climate warming and human activity on ecosystem change,and climate and ecosystem feedback processes.Multidisciplinary and comprehensive research should be strengthened amongst fields such as ecosystem ecology,physical geography,environmental science and remote sensing in order to support climate change adaptation and sustainable development in this fragile and unique region.展开更多
In the last decade, there has been increasing interest in climate change, pasture degradation and its driving forces, and innovations in nomadic pastoralism on the Tibetan Plateau. However, little is known of indigeno...In the last decade, there has been increasing interest in climate change, pasture degradation and its driving forces, and innovations in nomadic pastoralism on the Tibetan Plateau. However, little is known of indigenous strategies of adaptation to pasture degradation, which limits the effectiveness of adaptation strategies planned by local government. This paper analyzes nomads＇ strategies of adaptation to pasture degradation on the basis of a field survey of three townships of Dalag County in the source regions of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers. Pastures there have evidently degraded, with pastures in Wasai mainly in a state of slight or medium degradation and those in Manzhang and Jianshe in a state of medium or severe degradation. With the degradation of pasture, the grazing time is reduced, which af- fects the livelihoods of nomads. Although the Four-Package Project has commenced in this region, there is still severe fodder shortage in winter and spring. The traditional hay storage strategy does not work because of pasture degradation, and few nomads establish fenced and artificial pastures. Therefore, nomads have employed other strategies, such as renting pasture, providing supplementary feed, and diversifying their livelihoods. Local strategies taken by nomads can provide valuable insights into ecological restoration and livelihood improvement in the region and suggest changes to means promoted by local government. It is necessary to seek new means that combine the best aspects of nomadic pastoralism with modern stockbreeding technologies to help nomads adapt to pasture degeneration and improve their livelihoods.展开更多
The timing and mechanisms of the human occupation of the demanding high-altitude Tibetan Plateau environment are of great interest.Here,we report on our reinvestigations and dating of the Nwya Devu site,located nearly...The timing and mechanisms of the human occupation of the demanding high-altitude Tibetan Plateau environment are of great interest.Here,we report on our reinvestigations and dating of the Nwya Devu site,located nearly 4600 meters above sea level on the central Tibetan Plateau.A new microblade techno-complex was identified on a lower lake shore at this site,distinct from the previously reported blade tool assemblage.These two lithic assemblages were dated to 45.6±2.6 and10.3±0.5 ka using optically stimulated luminescence and accelerator mass spectrometry^(14)C methods.They represent,respectively,the earliest known Paleolithic and microlithic sites on the interior Tibetan Plateau,indicating multiple occupation episodes of hunter-gatherers during the past 45 ka.Our studies reveal that relatively stable depositional conditions and a paleoenvironment characterized by a comparatively warm climate facilitated these multiple occupations at Nwya Devu.The contemporaneous occurrence of the Upper Paleolithic blade technology on the Tibetan Plateau and most of Eurasia between 50 and 40 ka indicates rapid,large-scale dispersals of humans that profoundly affected human demography on a large scale.Combining new archaeological evidence and previously reported genetic data,we conclude that the Tibetan Plateau provided a relatively stable habitat for Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers,which may have contributed to the complex and multiple-origin gene pool of present-day Tibetans.展开更多
文摘The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is the highest biogeographic unit on earth and widely regarded as its ‘third pole＇.The high-altitude,frigid and arid alpine ecosystems that form the Plateau are extremely sensitive to climate change and human disturbance.Unsurprisingly,the Plateau is therefore a global epicenter of ecological and global change research and provides the ideal conditions and context to study the impacts of global change.Ecological research conducted on the Plateau can be partitioned into four developmental and chronological phases,beginning with the gathering of primitive knowledge and progressing towards a description of mechanistic processes.Throughout the course of Plateau research paradigm shifts from standalone surveys of biogeographic patterns to fixed monitoring and mechanism research;from isolated population,community and ecosystem approaches to more integrated,multidisciplinary research;and from pure theoretical research to an emphasis on effective resource utilization and sustainable development.Future ecological research will likely pay increasing attention to quantifying the impacts of climate warming and human activity on ecosystem change,and climate and ecosystem feedback processes.Multidisciplinary and comprehensive research should be strengthened amongst fields such as ecosystem ecology,physical geography,environmental science and remote sensing in order to support climate change adaptation and sustainable development in this fragile and unique region.
基金National Basic Research Program of China, No.2010CB951704 National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.41071066
文摘In the last decade, there has been increasing interest in climate change, pasture degradation and its driving forces, and innovations in nomadic pastoralism on the Tibetan Plateau. However, little is known of indigenous strategies of adaptation to pasture degradation, which limits the effectiveness of adaptation strategies planned by local government. This paper analyzes nomads＇ strategies of adaptation to pasture degradation on the basis of a field survey of three townships of Dalag County in the source regions of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers. Pastures there have evidently degraded, with pastures in Wasai mainly in a state of slight or medium degradation and those in Manzhang and Jianshe in a state of medium or severe degradation. With the degradation of pasture, the grazing time is reduced, which af- fects the livelihoods of nomads. Although the Four-Package Project has commenced in this region, there is still severe fodder shortage in winter and spring. The traditional hay storage strategy does not work because of pasture degradation, and few nomads establish fenced and artificial pastures. Therefore, nomads have employed other strategies, such as renting pasture, providing supplementary feed, and diversifying their livelihoods. Local strategies taken by nomads can provide valuable insights into ecological restoration and livelihood improvement in the region and suggest changes to means promoted by local government. It is necessary to seek new means that combine the best aspects of nomadic pastoralism with modern stockbreeding technologies to help nomads adapt to pasture degeneration and improve their livelihoods.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41888101,41977380 and 42072033)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant Nos.XDB26000000 and XDA2004010102)+3 种基金the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research(Grant No.2019QZKK0601)the National Social Science Foundation of China(Grant No.21@WTK001)supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences President’s International Fellowship Initiative Award(Grant No.2018VCA0016)the Je Tsongkhapa Endowment for Central and Inner Asian Archaeology at the University of Arizona。
文摘The timing and mechanisms of the human occupation of the demanding high-altitude Tibetan Plateau environment are of great interest.Here,we report on our reinvestigations and dating of the Nwya Devu site,located nearly 4600 meters above sea level on the central Tibetan Plateau.A new microblade techno-complex was identified on a lower lake shore at this site,distinct from the previously reported blade tool assemblage.These two lithic assemblages were dated to 45.6±2.6 and10.3±0.5 ka using optically stimulated luminescence and accelerator mass spectrometry^(14)C methods.They represent,respectively,the earliest known Paleolithic and microlithic sites on the interior Tibetan Plateau,indicating multiple occupation episodes of hunter-gatherers during the past 45 ka.Our studies reveal that relatively stable depositional conditions and a paleoenvironment characterized by a comparatively warm climate facilitated these multiple occupations at Nwya Devu.The contemporaneous occurrence of the Upper Paleolithic blade technology on the Tibetan Plateau and most of Eurasia between 50 and 40 ka indicates rapid,large-scale dispersals of humans that profoundly affected human demography on a large scale.Combining new archaeological evidence and previously reported genetic data,we conclude that the Tibetan Plateau provided a relatively stable habitat for Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers,which may have contributed to the complex and multiple-origin gene pool of present-day Tibetans.
