Wenying Wang

The expansion of poisonous weeds on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) poses increasing challenges to alpine grassland ecosystems and livestock production. Using the Biomod2 ensemble modelling framework, we assessed the current and future potential climatic suitability for five poisonous weed species—Stellera chamaejasme, Thermopsis lanceolata, Gymnaconitum gymnandrum, Oxytropis kansuensis, and Ligularia virgaurea—using climatic and topographic predictors, with future projections based on the single global climate model BCC-CSM2-MR under SSP1–2.6, SSP3–7.0, and SSP5–8.5. Precipitation of the warmest quarter (Bio18) and mean temperature of the wettest quarter (Bio8) showed the highest average variable importance across species, although their contributions varied among model realizations. Under current climatic conditions, suitable habitats were concentrated mainly in the eastern and southeastern QTP, with G. gymnandrum occupying the largest total and highly suitable areas. Under the BCC-CSM2-MR projections, total suitable habitat increased for all five species across the three SSPs, although the magnitude and spatial pattern of change varied among species, suitability classes, scenarios, and periods. T. lanceolata showed the greatest relative increase in suitable habitat, whereas the highly suitable habitat of O. kansuensis declined by approximately 94% under SSP5–8.5 in both future periods despite an increase in its total suitable area. These findings provide a basis for ecological risk assessment, targeted monitoring, and adaptive grassland management under future climate change.

Conflicts among the “production–living–ecological” functions (PLEFs) of grasslands significantly constrain regional economic, social, and ecological security. Therefore, scientifically quantifying and clarifying the trade-offs and synergies among grassland PLEFs in the Three River Headwaters Region (TRHR) is particularly crucial for promoting the realization of regional sustainable development goals. Based on data from 2000 to 2023, this study constructed a grassland PLEFs evaluation index system covering the natural, economic, and social security dimensions of the TRHR. The research calculated the grassland PLEFs and their total functional values, analyzing the spatiotemporal evolution of trade-offs and synergies among these functions. The results indicate significant regional differences in the spatial distribution of grassland PLEFs within the TRHR, with all functions exhibiting an overall upward trend, and the total function is ultimately improved by 35.97%. In addition, against the background of ecological civilization construction, the overall development level of the grassland complex system in the TRHR has continuously improved, and the conflict between pastoral production and living function has been effectively alleviated. However, the conflict between ecological and living function remains a significant bottleneck that constrains the coordinated development of the region. The findings of this study provide a scientific basis for the sustainable use and spatial optimization of grassland resources in the TRHR.

Vegetation restoration is accompanied by changes in plant functional traits, soil properties, and microbial communities, yet how these components covary along long-term restoration chronosequences remains poorly understood. We investigated Caragana microphylla plantations with 5, 10, 15, 23, and 36 restoration years in alpine sandy ecosystem to examine variations in leaf functional traits, soil properties, and soil microbial communities, as well as their associations during vegetation restoration. Leaf functional traits exhibited pronounced stage-dependent variation rather than simple linear patterns across the restoration chronosequence. During the early-to-middle restoration stages, C. microphylla exhibited relatively higher LTD and LDMC but lower SLA and LNC, with the most pronounced conservative trait combination observed at 15 Y of restoration. With later restoration stages, increased SLA and LNC at later stages suggested a tendency toward more acquisitive resource-use characteristics. The soil microbial community composition also changed with restoration years, with Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Acidobacteriota dominating the bacterial community, whereas Ascomycota and Basidiomycota dominating the fungal community. Fungal α-diversity generally increased with restoration years, whereas bacterial Shannon and Simpson indices exhibited unimodal patterns. Correlation analyses revealed strong associations among leaf functional traits, soil properties, and soil microbial communities. Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) suggested that variations in soil properties and microbial communities were associated with changes in leaf functional traits, with soil properties showing the strongest association. Microbial communities exhibited weaker direct associations with leaf traits but may be indirectly linked to leaf trait variation through their relationships with soil conditions. These findings indicate that changes in leaf resource-use characteristics of C. microphylla during restoration years are closely associated with variation in soil conditions and microbial communities, highlighting the coordinated variation among plant, soil, and microbial components during the restoration of alpine sandy ecosystems restoration.

By enhancing plant complementarity and facilitation, mixed cropping may accelerate soil fertility recovery and improve grassland ecosystem resilience. Nevertheless, the impacts of mixed cropping on soil fertility over a single growing season, and the underlying plant–soil interaction mechanisms, remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that mixed grass–legume–moss sowing would increase above- and belowground biomass, aggregate stability (mean weight diameter), and soil organic carbon and total nitrogen relative to monocultures, partly through relief of the nitrogen limitation of the grass by the nitrogen-fixing legume. To test this hypothesis, seven monoculture and mixed-cropping treatments using Elymus breviaristatus, Medicago sativa, and Tortula subulata were established in May 2024 with three replicate plots per treatment (n = 3); plant and soil variables were measured at the end of the growing season (late September 2024), and differences among treatments were tested by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD post hoc test, with significance accepted at p < 0.05. Our results showed that compared with monocropping, mixed cropping significantly increased above- and belowground biomass, improved soil water content, and reduced bulk density, thereby creating a more favorable soil microenvironment. Compared with monocropping, mixed cropping enhanced microbial biomass C and N by 26% and 10%, respectively, and increased soil organic C by 30%. Fertility indices were positive in all mixed-cropping systems, contrasting with the negative values observed for two of the three monocultures and for the unseeded control. Across treatments, the facilitation index was positively correlated with the fertility index (R² = 0.757), indicating that interspecific facilitation was closely associated with soil fertility gains. These findings suggest that mixed cropping can enhance soil fertility restoration in alpine artificial grassland and that this effect is consistent with interspecific facilitation promoting biomass accumulation, improving soil physicochemical conditions, and supporting soil microbial biomass. These results highlight species diversification as a promising strategy for accelerating soil fertility restoration, although multi-year and multi-site validation is still required.

The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) is highly sensitive to global climate change, and the stability of its grassland ecosystems is critical for regional ecological security and livestock development. Therefore, investigating future spatial distribution changes of dominant species on the QTP is of great importance for grassland management. In this study, an ensemble model was used to simulate and analyze the potential distribution and centroid migration directions of dominant species in alpine meadow, alpine grassland, desert grassland, and temperate grassland under current and future climate scenarios (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5). The results show that the ensemble model achieved excellent predictive accuracy for all species (AUC > 0.9, TSS > 0.7, Kappa > 0.6). Elevation is the key factor governing species distribution, while climate drivers differ significantly among species. The distribution of dominant species in alpine meadow and alpine grassland is primarily co-driven by the mean monthly temperature range (MTR), isothermality (ISO), and annual precipitation (AP); desert grassland dominants are mainly influenced by AP and the mean temperature of the driest quarter (MTDQ); and temperate grassland dominants are driven by the precipitation of the coldest quarter (PCQ) and AP. The suitable habitats of dominant species in the future will generally expand towards high-altitude, high-latitude regions in the north and northwest, with centroid migration directions varying markedly among species. Specifically, the centroids of desert grassland dominants and S. bungeana in temperate grassland will migrate northwest under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5, while N. splendens and S. krylovii in temperate grassland will migrate southwest. For alpine meadow and alpine grassland dominants, the centroids will generally move northwest under SSP2-4.5 but diverge under SSP5-8.5—E. nutans and S. purpurea in alpine grassland will continue to migrate northwest, whereas alpine meadow dominants and P. annua in alpine grassland will migrate east or northeast. This study provides a theoretical basis for grassland conservation, biodiversity conservation, and livestock production in response to climate change on the QTP.

Agaricus sinodeliciosus (A. sinodeliciosus) and Coprinus comatus (C. comatus) are precious macrofungi found in Qinghai Province, China. As decomposers, they play a crucial role in the terrestrial ecosystem. The article takes A. sinodeliciosus and C. comatus growing in the saline-alkali land of the Qaidam Basin in Qinghai Province as the research objects, and deeply analyzes the influence of the two macrofungi on soil. The results show that, compared with the control soil, the total carbon (TC) content in the soil of A. sinodeliciosus and C. comatus increased by 27.48% and 113.24%, the total nitrogen (TN) content increased by 95.16% and 108.06%, the hydrolyzable nitrogen (HN) increased by 87.36% and 97.90%, and the available potassium (AK) increased by 182.72% and 596.09%, respectively. In addition, C. comatus significantly increased the available phosphorus (AP) by 163.14%. This proves that both macrofungi can enhance soil fertility, and C. comatus has a stronger fertilization effect. In terms of soil microorganisms, A. sinodeliciosus significantly influenced the distribution of soil bacteria and fungi, increasing the abundance of Streptomyces and reducing alpha diversity. C. comatus had a greater impact on bacteria, significantly increasing the relative abundance of Pseudomonas in the soil, but had no significant effect on fungi. Additionally, there was a close relationship between soil microbial abundance and physicochemical properties. pH, AP, TC, and AK were the main factors influencing bacteria, while total salt was the main factor affecting fungi. These findings reveal that A. sinodeliciosus and C. comatus influence the soil microenvironment by regulating soil physicochemical properties and microbial communities.

Climate warming promotes alpine plant migration to higher elevations, yet how they adapt via stoichiometric homeostasis remains unclear. We measured plant C, N, and P traits and homeostasis across community and functional group levels in three alpine vegetation types—meadow (3200–3400 m), shrubland (3400–3700 m), and cushion vegetation (3700–4400 m)—along an altitudinal gradient in the northern Qilian Mountains, Tibetan Plateau. Shrubland, as ecotones, had higher soil C and N, with plant communities showing the highest N and N:P but lowest C:N. At the functional group level, Poaceae (Gramineae) and forbs had the highest N and N:P, while Cyperaceae had the highest P in shrubland. Notably, Cyperaceae in shrubland exhibited weak P and C:P homeostasis. Poaceae (Gramineae) were mainly influenced by soil, Cyperaceae by climate, and forbs by elevation. Structural equation modeling showed elevation indirectly affected stoichiometry via climate and soil; climate influenced nutrient contents, while soil controlled C:N:P ratios. These results reveal diverse nutrient regulation and survival strategies in alpine plants, enhancing understanding of adaptation and community assembly under climate change.

Quantitative exploration of shifts in regional vegetation net primary productivity (NPP) and their driving factors holds immense importance in unraveling the mechanisms steering vegetation alterations, comprehending the impact of climate variations and human interventions on NPP, and guiding ecological management. Despite this significance, there is a scarcity of research reports on Qinghai Province. The aim is to dissect the influences of climate change and human activities on Qinghai’s vegetation NPP and to estimate the growth potential of livestock carrying capacity. This study addresses the gap by juxtaposing the characteristics of climate-induced potential NPP changes, computed using the Zhou Guangsheng model, with actual NPP changes, calculated via the CASA model. Our findings underscore climate factors as the predominant drivers of Qinghai’s vegetation NPP, accounting for 64.6% of the total area. Regions influenced by human activities contribute 34.3%, while unchanged areas constitute 2%. Climate emerges as the primary catalyst for increased vegetation NPP in Qinghai, encompassing 87% of the total area, with 73% attributed to climate factors across all counties. Conversely, human activities predominantly lead to decreased NPP, affecting 11% of the total area. Notably, 99% of the reduced NPP is attributable to human activities, concentrated in Golmud, Mangya, and Dulan counties in the northwest. Examining the growth potential of livestock carrying capacity from 1982 to 2018 reveals a consistent upward trajectory in Qinghai Province. The average annual growth potential per unit area escalates from 0.38 SHU/ha in 1982 to 0.56 SHU/ha in 2018. By 2018, regions exhibiting positive growth potential encompass 95% of the province, with areas exceeding 1 SHU/ha constituting 9%, primarily situated in the eastern part of Qinghai Province.