Alpine meadow

The natural landscape of alpine meadow is formed because of the elevation of terrain and the vertical change of climate zone.

Alpine meadow

Alpine meadow is also called alpine meadow. It is a grassland type developed in Plateau and high mountain under cold environment. The vegetation is mainly composed of cold middle perennial herbs, often accompanied by middle perennial miscellaneous grasses. There are many kinds of plants, including Cyperaceae, Gramineae and miscellaneous grasses. Artemisia is an important component plant. The community structure is simple, the level is not obvious, the growth is dense, the plant is low, sometimes forms the flat mat. Grasses such as Artemisia, Festuca arundinacea, hairy grass, scissor glume, Polygonum viviparum, Pedicularis, Viola, Ranunculus, astragalus, Vitex, etc., small shrubs such as Salix, Andromeda, Vaccinium, etc., the lower layer often has dense mosses, forming the stem layer of vegetation.

Cause of formation

Meadow (meadows) is a kind of vegetation type developed under moderate water conditions, which is mainly composed of perennial herbs. The difference between meadow and grassland is that the grassland is dominated by xerophytic herbs, which are zonal vegetation under semi humid and semi-arid climate conditions; while the general meadow belongs to non zonal vegetation, which can appear in different vegetation zones. In the humid climate zone, meadow can be accompanied by coniferous forest or deciduous broad-leaved forest, and meadow can be distributed in mountain lowlands; although the climate of grassland and desert zone is arid and the atmospheric precipitation is insufficient, meadow can still be formed in the low-lying areas where surface runoff collects and where the groundwater level is high. Alpine meadow can also be formed in tropical, subtropical and temperate alpine areas. Therefore, there are meadows on the islands from Eurasia, North America and tundra belt in the north to Antarctica in the south. However, typical meadows are particularly widespread in the cold temperate and temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Meadow in China is mainly distributed in Northeast China, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Qinghai Tibet Plateau, with various types, especially the large area of Alpine Meadow on Qinghai Tibet Plateau.

Distribution range

Alpine meadow is mainly distributed in the northeast of Qinghai Tibet Plateau and the north of Sichuan. It is also distributed in the northwest and southwest. Alpine meadow is a good summer pasture with low grass layer and good grass quality, which is suitable for cattle, sheep and other livestock grazing.

The alpine meadow soils in China are mainly distributed in the eastern part of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, and in the central part of Asia, such as the Pamir Plateau, Tianshan Mountains and Qilian Mountains, with an altitude of 3200-5200 meters. In the Tianshan Mountains and other mountains, it often appears as a vertical zone, while in the plateau, it has the characteristics of horizontal zonal distribution. This kind of soil is also distributed in high mountain areas of Europe, America and Oceania.

Basic characteristics

climate

The annual average temperature of alpine meadow is below 0 ℃. The annual precipitation is about 400-500mm. Alpine meadow group is 3 ~ 10 cm in height, covering 70% ~ 90%, often scattered flake. There is ice and snow in winter.

soil

The soil is mainly alpine meadow soil. In the process of grass growing, it developed vigorously and formed a compact turf layer with high content of organic matter, but failed to decompose. The soil is slightly acidic to neutral. Part of the soil has permafrost.

The soil developed under the meadow vegetation above the closed line of alpine forest. In China, it was called grass felt soil. Its main features are: the surface is layered or hillock like due to the frequent frost cracking and soil sliding; the surface layer is composed of soft and tough turf interwoven by grass roots. Alpine meadow soil can be used as natural pasture. In some areas of subalpine zone, with the measures of cold prevention and fertilizer and water management, it can be cultivated as dry farmland, planting highland barley, rape and other cold resistant crops.

There is obvious accumulation of humus in alpine meadow soil. The humus layer is 8-20 cm thick and presents gray brown to black brown granular flat core structure. The ratio of humic acid to fulvic acid (H / F) is 0.6-1.0. The complex colloid of soil belongs to the type of high organic matter and low complex degree, mainly composed of loose bound humus. The color of humus layer lightens rapidly. In the subalpine zone, the transition between soil layers is rapid and obvious, while in the alpine zone, it is not obvious, and a dark layer appears in the AB layer. The water-soluble salts and calcium carbonate in the profile have been leached, and only calcium carbonate has accumulated in the middle and lower parts of some alpine meadow soil profiles. The clay minerals are mainly hydromica with a small amount of kaolinite and solenite. It is acidic to neutral reaction. The thickness of the soil layer is only 40-50 cm, with obvious thawing micro morphological characteristics. The bottom layer has seasonal frozen layer or permafrost.

landforms

The topography and position of alpine meadow soil are mostly hillside, gentle hill on plateau, moraine platform, wide valley and basin. Most of the parent materials are eluvial slope sediments, slope sediments, moraines and glacial water sediments. The climate is characterized by cold, moderate humidity and long freezing period; the annual average temperature is - 6 ~ 4 ℃, and the annual precipitation is 400 ~ 700mm.

Meadow vegetation

The vegetation belongs to alpine meadow, mainly Kobresia Kobresia and Kobresia humilis with dense clumps and short rhizomes, and often accompanied by a variety of Carex, Polygonum rotundum and miscellaneous grasses. The coverage is about 70-90%, and shrubs often appear on the sunny slope near the upper limit of forest line.

Grassland, also known as grazing land, is one of the agricultural land, which refers to the grassland animal husbandry production base where all kinds of grass with feeding value grow and can be used for livestock grazing or harvesting. According to the degree of artificial intervention, it can be divided into natural grassland, artificial grassland, semi artificial grassland, Mowing Grassland, grassland fenced for closed cultivation and feed rotation area. Grassland resources include not only tropical grassland and temperate grassland, but also alpine meadow and floodplain meadow.

Famous scenic spots

Wugong Mountain, the first flag mountain, the scenery of rabbit ear ridge

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Menghuo City, an alpine meadow in Southwest China

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Address: Maqin County, Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province

Longitude: 100.03128173828

Latitude: 34.513243486889

Chinese PinYin : Gao Shan Cao Dian