.: Artic Steppes of Tibet

Range Map (Redrawn from Schaller, 1998)

Source: http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Artiodactyla/Pantholops_hodgsonii.html

Opening

There is practically no such thing as “virgin land” and natural vegetation in China anymore, as artificial interference has made heavy impacts on practically every inch of China’s vast landscape. China is the most populous country of the world, and when 80% of her population is creating their sustenance from the land and constantly morphing the land to fit their needs at a gargantuan scale, it is amazing to find a large landmass like the Arctic Steppes that is comparatively untouched by man. (1)

Agro-ecological zones of Tibet.

SOURCE: Mountain Environment and Natural Resources Information Service (MENRIS), ICIMOD.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/Y4856E/y4856e0d.htm

Past the Himalaya Mountain range is a cold and barren land where the average elevation is higher than the majority of the Rocky Mountains. This place is known as “The Roof of the World.” It’s the biggest and most elevated plateau on Earth and responsible for providing the water that flows through at least eight major rivers. Imagine a flat valley almost constantly frozen year-round, with more than 17,000 glaciers covering its surface—that’s the Alpine Steppes of Tibet. (1)

Climate Map of the Tibetan Steppes
Source: http://climatechange.umaine.edu/Research/Expeditions/2005/Geladandong/Map.jpg

Past

The Alpine Steppes occupy 25% of the total land area in China, yet has only .8% of the total land available for agriculture, and .8% of the population. This ecosystem has the highest grasslands in the world, most of it measuring at 4000 meters. Along with the colossal grasslands, it is home to one of the harshest grazing environments in the world, nonetheless, its pastures provide feed for 12 million yak, 30 million sheep and goats, and home for five million people. The grass has co-evolved to the environment to become hardy, and having a short growing season due to strong winds, high levels of evapotranspirations, where water is transferred from plants and soil due to the arid environment, and high levels of solar radiation due to the height. (2)(4)

The Tibetan antelope, chiru, and the world’s largest sheep, Argali, of the Alpine Steppes were originally subject to heavy slaughter and poaching at an unsustainable rate for their respective high-quality underfur and wool. A short fifty years ago, there were a million chiru, and now only 75,000 remain. This problem was remedied by the creation of the Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve in 1983, the Tibetan Autonomous Region in the Changtang Nature Reserve, a region spanning 334,000 square kilometers, about the size of New Mexico, and the Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve in 1997. Furthermore, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), has prohibited the trade of fur and wool. With the decrease of demand, commercial poaching is likely to diminish greatly. (3)

Present

Qingzang Railway

Chiru next to the Railway
Source: http://money.163.com/09/0628/19/5CTUTMKH00253B0H.html#from=relevant

The GOOD

Throughout China’s history, roads and trade routes were paved to connect the Tibetan people to their neighbors. However, these treks were arduous and incredibly time consuming; ranging from no less than six months to a year. Originally, Camels were used to transport consignment to Tibet. Twelve camels died for every kilometer, or 3/5ths of a mile. To remedy this expensive and time consuming process, and spare a few camels’ lives, China began construction of the Qinghai-Xizang railroad to connect Tibet to the rest of China. Pressurized cabins protect passengers from the extreme altitude of the route, about 13,000 feet above sea level. This railroad is responsible for the transportation of roughly 85% of Tibet’s shipments. Furthermore, the railway serves an important role as a method for Tibet to boost its capability of self-development. It also facilitates Tibet’s inevitable economic growth. (5)(6)

Qingzang Railway
Source: http://earthdata.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2005_permafrost_tuotuo.jpg
According to scientist of the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado, Tingjun Zhang says that “The Qinghai-Xizang railroad is the most ambitious construction project in a permafrost region since the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline” Zhang studies the various effects of climate change on permafrost areas like these all around the globe.

The BAD

Map showing intersection of railway and the Chiru migration paths
Source: https://www.eeb.ucla.edu/Faculty/Shaffer/pubs/Xia2007.pdf

The chiru is a Tibetan antelope is one of the few threatened animals in on the Arctic Steppes. They depend on seasonal migration to reproduce. Every summer, all the female antelopes travel 180 miles from their winter mating grounds to the summer calving grounds where they raise the young calves. Originally, this population was subject to poaching for the valuable chiru fur, Shatoosh. However, it is now one of the most protected chiru populations. (8)

The problem with the newly built railway and highway running parallel to it, is that the railway intersects the chiru populations’ migration pathways. The railway stands as a massive physical barrier and its impact on the chiru migration patterns is blatantly observable. When antelopes reach the railway, they hesitate to traverse under the arches of the railway underpasses, clumping into large groups on one side of the pass. Even on the rare occasion when the chiru take the chance and cross the railway underpasses, even the sight of an unnatural small hole, bricks, or constructions tools is enough to spook the easily frightened antelopes, which in turn causes them to turn around. Like most other wild animals, anything artificial or remotely human-related scares them, and a massive concrete structure is not exactly the most subtle way to be unimposing. Furthermore, the implementation of coal by the trains will pollute the air, and endanger the already thin atmosphere. Human interference brought by heightened levels of tourism in Tibet also poses an uncertain effect on this already susceptible ecoregion. (7)

Fortunately measures have already been proposed to slowly remedy this issue of affected migration. Human activities along these paths are limited, and the Transportation Department responsible for the construction and maintenance of the roadways have removed all equipment and restored the natural vegetation at the original construction sites. Furthermore, the native inhabitants have been informed of the sensitivity of the chirus’ migration route. Lastly, the nature reserves’ managements have been cooperating with each other to reduce the disturbance to these animals. In junction with the antelopes slowly adjusting their migration patterns and paths to synergize with the man-made obstruction, these measures will allow for the chiru to eventually coexist with human interference and continue their natural sequences of life. (7)

A cute Chiru
Source: http://prettyparrot.blogspot.com/2011/11/shahtoosh.html

Year	Chiru Population #
1950	500,000-1,000,000
1993	100,000
1998	< 75,000
2000	65,000
2001	65,000-75,000
2012	75,000

Scatterplot based on the chart above,

Data Sources:
http://www.animalinfo.org/species/artiperi/panthodg.htm

http://www.animalinfo.org/species/artiperi/panthodg.htm#ixzz2EA6kVPTc

IUCN 2000a
East 1993
Schaller 1998
IUCN 2000a
Mallon & Kingswood 2001
http://blog.adreamforabetterworld.com/tag/migration/

Future

It is likely that the many major rivers that begin in the Arctic Steppes will become very important in the future. The preservation and management of these sources will become pivotal on a global scale as these river origins will need to be protected to ensure constant water supply to much of the Indo-Chinese regions. If properly taken care of, the pastures and grasslands will continue to contribute sources of water, wildlife habitat, and forage for livestock and the overall economic development in the region.(3)

Furthermore, the stepping stones of transforming the massive pastoral livestock population have already slowly begun to be placed as a privatized market economy of less mobile, herded livestock emerges. From these herders will come livestock farmers due to commercial restructuring of the pastoral cultures. (3)

Map of the distribution of the four main livestock production systems.
Source: http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/Y4856E/y4856e0d.htm

Yaks

Source: http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/Y4856E/y4856e0d.htm

This ecoregion is presently very well preserved and there is no extreme endangerment posed by human intervention, and since the problems that exist currently are not extremely significant, but there are already procedures being executed to cure them, this ecoregion will continue to be in a good state. As long as the balance between people and the ecosystem remains stagnant or improves as it has been, the preservation of this ecoregion will remain pristine, and one of the few “virgin” and natural.

Thoughts

In order to preserve and maintain a the positive sustainability of this ecoregion, the public must be educated to ensure that they do not unknowingly affect this sensitive ecoregion negatively. Furthermore, the government plays a significant role in the protection of the environment and its inhabitants. It is the job of the government to enforce the laws against illegal poaching and use of the furs and wools of the species living on the Steppes.

Reference

1. GeoJournal – Zhao SongQiao

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00150743?LI=true#page-1

2. Vegetation of China

http://www.hceis.com/chinabasic/vegetation/vegetation.htm

3. FAO Corporate Document Repository: Tibetan Steppe

http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/y8344e/y8344e0f.htm

4. WWF Ecoregions

http://worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/pa1002

5. NASA EOSDIS: Riding the Permafrost Express

http://earthdata.nasa.gov/featured-stories/featured-research/riding-permafrost-express

6. Xinhua News Agency, March 9, 2001