Spatiotemporal distribution changes in alpine desert belt in Qilian Mountains under climate changes in past 30 years

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2018.0241

Abstract

Abstract:

AimsAlpine desert, as the top part of the vertical vegetation spectrum of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, is widely distributed in the high altitude zones in the Qilian Mountains (QLM). Its distribution and growth conditions are different from the surrounding area. It is more sensitive to climate change but rarely being studied. In this study, we focused on the dynamic changes and spatiotemporal differences of the alpine desert belt in the QLM under the warming climates from the 1990s to the 2010s.
MethodsThe distribution changes in the alpine desert belt in the QLM during the past three decades were obtained from the thematic mapper and the operational land imager remote sensing digital images by using the decision tree classification and artificial visual interpretation. Spatiotemporal differences of the alpine desert distribution were studied by the overlay analysis. Meanwhile, the relationships between the changes and climates were explored using correlation analysis.
Important findings The results indicated that the alpine desert shrank gradually and lost its area by approximately 348.3 km²·a^-1 in the QLM with climate warming in the past 30 years. The amplitude of the shrinkage increased from east to west. However, its areas expanded in some sections. Collectively, the low boundary of the alpine desert belt moved upwards to higher altitudes at a velocity of 15 m per decade. The maximum upward-‌shifting amplitude lied in the western QLM, followed by the eastern and middle QLM. The vertical zonal shifting was modulated by topography-induced difference in local hydrothermal conditions. The distribution shifts in the alpine desert belt were mainly concentrated in the gentle slope regions. Because of the differences of hydrothermal background, the position shifts were greater in the sunny aspects than in the shady aspects in the eastern and middle QLM, while opposite in the western QLM. The differences in the hydrothermal conditions and regional topography led to the spatiotemporal change differences of the alpine desert distribution. The correlation between the normalized differential vegetation index and climate factors in the transition zone showed that temperature was the main factor affecting the dynamics and spatial differences of the alpine desert belt in the QLM, and climate warming facilitated the alpine meadow below the alpine desert belt by releasing the low temperature limitation on the vegetation growth.

Key words: alpine desert belt, spatiotemproal difference, climate change, remote sensing monitor, Qilian Mountains

ZHANG Fu-Guang, ZENG Biao, YANG Tai-Bao. Spatiotemporal distribution changes in alpine desert belt in Qilian Mountains under climate changes in past 30 years[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2019, 43(4): 305-319.

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Figures/Tables 13

References 51

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	东段 Eastern		中段 Middle		西段 Western
	T	P	T	P	T	P
1月 Jan.	0.022	0.016	0.053	-0.020	0.006	0.006
2月 Feb.	0.055	-0.021	0.088	0.070	0.059	0.018
3月 Mar.	0.051	-0.084	0.023	-0.185	0.041	-0.185
4月 Apr.	0.082^*	-0.406	0.067	-0.030	0.067	0.053
5月 May	0.061^*	0.273	0.050^*	0.860^*	0.059^*	0.464^*
6月 June	0.057^**	0.357	0.052^**	0.540	0.042^*	0.653
7月 July	0.044^*	-0.691	0.061^*	0.383	0.059	0.295
8月 Aug.	0.040^*	1.020	0.070^**	0.731	0.075^**	-0.102
9月 Sept.	0.030	1.633^*	0.040	1.327^**	0.022	0.479
10月 Oct.	0.072^**	0.492	0.074^**	0.133	0.071^**	0.112
11月 Nov.	-0.002	0.130	0.012	0.007	0.023	-0.110
12月 Dec.	-0.045^*	0.048	0.013	-0.008	-0.007	0.037

	东段 Eastern		中段 Middle		西段 Western
	T	P	T	P	T	P
1月 Jan.	0.022	0.016	0.053	-0.020	0.006	0.006
2月 Feb.	0.055	-0.021	0.088	0.070	0.059	0.018
3月 Mar.	0.051	-0.084	0.023	-0.185	0.041	-0.185
4月 Apr.	0.082^*	-0.406	0.067	-0.030	0.067	0.053
5月 May	0.061^*	0.273	0.050^*	0.860^*	0.059^*	0.464^*
6月 June	0.057^**	0.357	0.052^**	0.540	0.042^*	0.653
7月 July	0.044^*	-0.691	0.061^*	0.383	0.059	0.295
8月 Aug.	0.040^*	1.020	0.070^**	0.731	0.075^**	-0.102
9月 Sept.	0.030	1.633^*	0.040	1.327^**	0.022	0.479
10月 Oct.	0.072^**	0.492	0.074^**	0.133	0.071^**	0.112
11月 Nov.	-0.002	0.130	0.012	0.007	0.023	-0.110
12月 Dec.	-0.045^*	0.048	0.013	-0.008	-0.007	0.037

		年代 Years
		1990S	2000S	2010S
祁连山区 QLM	高寒荒漠面积 Alpine desert area (km²)	53 061.69	47 135.91	42 569.46
	萎缩量 Shrunk area of the alpine desert (km²)	5 925.79	4 566.45	-
	面积变化率 Area change ratio of the alpine desert	0.11	0.10	-
东段 Eastern	高寒荒漠面积 Alpine desert area (km²)	1 926.49	1 805.77	1 720.33
	萎缩量 Shrunk area of the alpine desert (km²)	120.72	85.44	-
	面积变化率 Area change ratio of the alpine desert	0.06	0.05	-
中段 Middle	高寒荒漠面积 Alpine desert area (km²)	15 221.68	14 019.75	11 710.50
	萎缩量 Shrunk area of the alpine desert (km²)	1 201.92	2 309.26	-
	面积变化率 Area change ratio of the alpine desert	0.08	0.16	-
西段 Western	高寒荒漠面积 Alpine desert area (km²)	35 936.33	31 310.39	29 138.63
	萎缩量 Shrunk area of the alpine desert (km²)	4 625.94	2 171.75	-
	面积变化率 Area change ratio of the alpine desert	0.13	0.07	-

		年代 Years
		1990S	2000S	2010S
祁连山区 QLM	高寒荒漠面积 Alpine desert area (km²)	53 061.69	47 135.91	42 569.46
	萎缩量 Shrunk area of the alpine desert (km²)	5 925.79	4 566.45	-
	面积变化率 Area change ratio of the alpine desert	0.11	0.10	-
东段 Eastern	高寒荒漠面积 Alpine desert area (km²)	1 926.49	1 805.77	1 720.33
	萎缩量 Shrunk area of the alpine desert (km²)	120.72	85.44	-
	面积变化率 Area change ratio of the alpine desert	0.06	0.05	-
中段 Middle	高寒荒漠面积 Alpine desert area (km²)	15 221.68	14 019.75	11 710.50
	萎缩量 Shrunk area of the alpine desert (km²)	1 201.92	2 309.26	-
	面积变化率 Area change ratio of the alpine desert	0.08	0.16	-
西段 Western	高寒荒漠面积 Alpine desert area (km²)	35 936.33	31 310.39	29 138.63
	萎缩量 Shrunk area of the alpine desert (km²)	4 625.94	2 171.75	-
	面积变化率 Area change ratio of the alpine desert	0.13	0.07	-

年代 Years	东段 Eastern		中段 Middle		西段 Western
年代 Years	下界平均海拔 Average elevation (m)	向上推进 Upward moving (m)	下界平均海拔 Average elevation (m)	向上推进 Upward moving (m)	下界平均海拔 Average elevation (m)	向上推进 Upward moving (m)
1990S	3 914.45		4 042.80		4 159.05
		33.83		8.25		59.51
2000S	3 948.28		4 051.05		4 218.56
		6.40		26.97		3.31
2010S	3 954.68		4 078.02		4 221.87
总计 Sum		40.23		35.22		62.82