Qinghai-Tibet Plateau research offers insight into effects of climate change

A monitoring station in Shanza county has been the world's highest-altitude comprehensive ecological monitoring facility since 2010. It has three laboratories specializing in biology, soil and water, as well as 33 hectares of alpine grassland and 6.7 hectares of alpine wetland that it monitors.

Wang, who is also head of the station in Shanza, has spent more than two decades surveying the ecosystems of the plateau.

"In the early 2000s, it would take us several days to reach Shanza, first flying from Chengdu to Xizang's regional capital of Lhasa and then driving all the way to Shanza through Shigatse city," he said. "We had to eat instant noodles and canned food for days and spend nights in tents in the wilderness."

But the long and strenuous trips were always worth it.

"The grasslands in Shanza represent the largest and most sensitive alpine grassland ecosystem of its kind," he said. "Within a 5-kilometer radius around the station, there are three types of grasslands, wetlands and lakes, enabling us to carry out comprehensive research."

Wang Zhuangzhuang, a researcher at the institute, said he visits the monitoring station several times a year to retrieve data stored in the hardware there.

An example of their research is gauging the effects of installing fences that limit areas for livestock grazing on a piece of land's carbon absorption rate, he added.

In Lhokha city — about two hours' drive from the regional capital of Lhasa, is a monitoring site for the carbon sequestration of artificial forests.

In the past, the city that sits along the Yarlung Zangbo River was frequently beset by dust storms, prompting a drive initiated in the 1980s that resulted in over 45 million trees being planted over four decades.

A new monitoring site, aimed at evaluating the forests' ecological role, was put into use this year.

"Our research can help shed light on the optimized ratio of male and female tree species to maximize improvements in soil condition, address problems such as pests, floating fluff, and bolster preparedness for potential issues such as invasive alien species," said Wang Xiaodan.