Location

Grassland Ecosystem Research Station of Three Rivers’ Source Regions was founded in 2008 by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Qinghai Science & Technology Department, and Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, CAS. It lies in Machen County, Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in southeast of Qinghai Province, N 34°21′～ 34°22′, E100°29′～ 100°30′. The station has three Flux Towers, two of them were guoluo degraded alpine meadow and Guoluo artificial grassland, located at Machen County, Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province, N 34°21′～ 34°22′, E100°29′～ 100°30′, 3 960m a.s.l.. The other was Tongde artificial grassland, located at Tongde County, Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province, N35°09′, 100°39′, 3300m a.s.l.. It presents the typical alpine grassland in the Three Rivers’ Source Regions.

Climatic

The climate of Golog Prefecture is dominated by southeast monsoon and high atmosphere pressure from Siberia, with severe, long winters and short, cool summers. The mean annual air temperature was below 0℃, and the mean precipitation falls in the short growing season from May to September. Annual precipitation ranges from 420 mm to 560 mm, and approximately 80% of precipitation falls in the short growing season from May to September. Tongde artificial grassland The climate of Tongde Prefecture is dominated by southeast monsoon and high atmosphere pressure from Siberia, with severe, long winters and short, cool summers. The mean annual air temperature was 0.2℃. Annual precipitation ranges from 429.8 mm, and approximately 80% of precipitation falls in the short growing season from May to September.

Vegetation and soil

Guoluo degraded alpine meadow was degraded Kobresia dominated alpine meadow. Guoluo artificial grassland was seeded with Poa. The soil was alpine meadow soil. Tongde artificial grassland was seeded with Elymus. The soil was dark chestnut soils.

Observation system

Principal Investigator

Liang Zhao

E-mail: lzhao@nwipb.ac.cn