Increased human pressures on the alpine ecosystem along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway

Abstract

Construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR) increased the links between inland China and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). The QTR accelerated surrounding tourism, boosted the local economy and led to rapid development of livestock raising. To assess how distance from the railway and different regions has influenced the impact of the QTR on the alpine ecosystem, human footprint maps were produced to indicate human pressures, and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), an index of vegetation greenness, was used to characterize the growth of alpine vegetation. The construction and operation of the QTR have increased human pressures, while the establishment of nature reserves has effectively reduced human pressures. The QTR contributes significantly to the increased human pressures in the Tibetan region compared with the Qinghai region and exerts negative impacts on alpine vegetation. Although the warmer and wetter climate trend has proven beneficial in enhancing alpine vegetation greenness, the declining trend of alpine vegetation has been stronger in regions with more intensive human pressures, especially in the grazing areas and the tourist areas around Lhasa. These results suggest that the impact of the QTR on alpine vegetation in Tibet is greater than that in Qinghai and that the spatial extent of the indirect impact of the QTR in Tibet is confined to approximately 30 km from the railway. These results will provide guidance and a theoretical basis for the protection of the alpine environment on the QTP under intensified anthropogenic influence.