4.7 Article

Development of place-based catenal models for grassland ecosystems of the Upper Yellow River, Western China

Journal

CATENA
Volume 213, Issue -, Pages -

Publisher

ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2022.106193

Keywords

Landscape ecology; Geomorphology; Hydrology; Alpine meadow; Alpine steppe; Qinghai-Tibet Plateau; Sanjiangyuan; Environmental management

Funding

  1. Qinghai Science and Technology Department [2020-ZJ-904]
  2. National Natural Sciences Foundation of China [31872999]
  3. 111 Project [D18013]
  4. Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program (STEP) [2019QZKK1002]
  5. Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University, MOE [IRT_17R62]

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The careful development and application of place-based catenal models provide a framework for scientifically-informed approaches to environmental management. This study focused on the Source Zone of the Yellow River in western China and developed cross-disciplinary catenal models for alpine meadow and alpine steppe landscapes. These models identified critical drivers and processes that need to be conserved or managed to sustain ecosystem services and livelihoods in these areas.
Careful development of place-based catenal models and their application as transferable archetypes provides an integrative and generalisable framework for scientifically-informed approaches to environmental management. A workshop and field excursion to the Source Zone of the Yellow River in western China in July 2019 brought together local experts and a team of international researchers to co-develop cross-disciplinary, process-based catenal models that summarise controls on the character and behaviour of grassland environments in alpine meadow (3800 m asl) and alpine steppe (4200 m asl) landscapes. Water, sediment and nutrient fluxes, soil material properties, ground cover (especially percentage bare ground) and the role of small mammals (especially pika) are critical drivers of process linkages in the catenal models. Geologic, climatic and anthropogenic controls on these drivers vary in alpine steppe and alpine meadow settings. While these process interactions have supported grazing adapted ecosystems and sustained biodiversity values in this area for millennia, anthropogenic and climate change disturbances threaten the integrity of these landscapes and their capacity to provide ecosystem services and sustain livelihoods into the future. The place-based catenal models presented in this paper can be used to support applications that appropriately target key attributes, linkages and fluxes that may require conservation, maintenance or treatment in the management of alpine steppe and alpine meadow landscapes.

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