Abstract: Grasslands in Sichuan Northwestern Plateau (GSNP), located in the south-eastern Tibetan plateau, is fragile and sensitive to climate change. GSNP, situated in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, is one of China’s five major pastoral areas. It plays a vital role in social and ecological fields. Therefore, it is pretty important to explore the ecological vulnerability to climate change in GSNP. In this study, based on long-term remote sensing data and meteorological data, we assessed ecological vulnerability of GSNP to climate change using indicators in the exposure-sensitivity-resilience framework. Our analysis indicated that (1) The vulnerability index was highest in the northwestern area, followed by that in the southeastern area, and was lowest in the middle area in GSNP. The spatial pattern of the exposure index determined that of vulnerability index in GSNP. (2) For various vegetation types in GSNP, the vulnerability index was highest in typical steppes and lowest in meadows and wetlands. The vulnerability index in alpine meadows was between the two. Differences of the vulnerability index among various vegetation types were determined by differences of the exposure index. (3) The spatial patterns of the vulnerability index in the subtropical climate zone were various from them in the alpine climate zone. In the subtropical climate zone, the vulnerability index was lowest in the middle subtropical climate region-dianbei. The vulnerability index in the middle subtropical climate region-sichuan and that in the northern subtropical climate region-qinba were at a comparable level. Differences of the vulnerability index among various climate zones were determined by differences of the resilience index in the subtropical climate region. In the alpine climate zone, the vulnerability index was highest in the alpine climate region-changdu, followed by the alpine climate region-bomi and chuanxi, and was lowest in the alpine climate region – qingnan. The spatial patterns of the vulnerability index were determined by the exposure index in the alpine climate zone. This study will be significant for ecological and environmental protection and the livestock husbandry development.Abstract: Grasslands in Sichuan Northwestern Plateau (GSNP), located in the south-eastern Tibetan plateau, is fragile and sensitive to climate change. GSNP, situated in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, is one of China’s five major pastoral areas. It plays a vital role in social and ecological fields. Therefore, it is pretty import...Show More
Abstract: Based on the daily data set of China surface climate data of China Meteorological Data Network (V3.0) Maqu meteorological site from 1967 to 2017. Mann Kendall and other methods are used to analyze the abrupt change of meteorological elements. The results show that the air temperature and surface temperature show an obvious upward trend in the past 50 years, which indicates that the plateau region is also continuously warming under the background of global warming, Land surface temperature is more sensitive to climate warming. The difference of sunshine hours is significant, but the overall trend is not obvious. However, the precipitation showed a slight increase, which also confirmed the warming trend of the plateau. The temperature showed an upward trend in both warm season and cold season, especially in cold season, but it kept below - 5°C thus could not form liquid precipitation; The difference of sunshine hours is small. In recent years, it fluctuates drasticly in warm season and gentle in cold season; The relative humidity in warm season is higher than that in cold season. The abrupt change analysis of meteorological elements in Maqu region from 1967 to 2017 shows that there are two abrupt changes in temperature, the time of abrupt change is about 1975-1976 and 2000 respectively, in which the abrupt change of significant rise occurred in 2000, and the abrupt change of surface temperature occurred around 2000; The wind speed decreased abruptly from 1972 to 1975; The possible abrupt points of sunshine hours are 1974, 1992 and 2002; The possible abrupt time of relative humidity is from 2004 to 2005; The possible abrupt change time of precipitation is around 1977.Abstract: Based on the daily data set of China surface climate data of China Meteorological Data Network (V3.0) Maqu meteorological site from 1967 to 2017. Mann Kendall and other methods are used to analyze the abrupt change of meteorological elements. The results show that the air temperature and surface temperature show an obvious upward trend in the past ...Show More
