Effects of yak dung patch dropped in cold season on soil and pasture on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 241-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-jun Yu ◽  
Chang-lin Xu ◽  
I. Muhammad ◽  
Rui-jun Long
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
Yak Dung

scholarly journals Short-term study on the yak dung seed bank on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: effects of grazing season, seed characteristics and forage preferences

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shulin Wang ◽  
Fujiang Hou
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Seed Bank ◽  
Seedling Density ◽  
Seed Shape ◽  
Grazing Season ◽  
Size And Shape ◽  
Foraging Preferences ◽  
Seed Characteristics ◽  
Yak Dung

Abstract Aims Viable seeds in herbivore dung constitute the dung seed bank, and the contribution of livestock dung to this seed bank in grazing pastures is often overlooked. Grazing season (warm and cold), seed characteristics (size and shape), and forage preference are the main factors that affect the size and composition of the dung seed bank and ultimately affect grassland ecology. However, how these three factors interact is unclear. Methods We collected yak dung as well as seeds of the common plant species from warm- and cold-season alpine meadows in northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, and explored how grazing season (warm and cold), seed characteristics (size and shape) and foraging preferences (temporary cages method) affects yak dung seedling density, richness and diversity in an alpine pasture. Results Forty-three plant species (mainly perennials) germinated from yak dung. Dung seedling density, richness, and diversity did not differ significantly between the two grazing seasons. Small to medium-sized spherical seeds (seed size < 10 mg, shape index < 0.5) had the greatest germination potential. Conclusions Yaks vary their forage preference depending on the season (phenological period), and endozoochory occurs throughout both grazing seasons. Seed shape and size directly regulate the dung seedling density, richness, and diversity. Dung seedlings increase the heterogeneity of the aboveground vegetation near the microsites of the dung pieces and therefore promote grassland patching. Our study demonstrates that grazing season, seed characteristics, and yak forage preferences affect the dung seed bank in grazing ecosystems.

Dynamic and Thermodynamic Relations of Distinctive Stratus Clouds on the Lee Side of the Tibetan Plateau in the Cold Season

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (21) ◽  
pp. 8378-8391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Rucong Yu ◽  
Jian Li ◽  
Weihua Yuan ◽  
Minghua Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Eastern China ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
Water Vapor Transport ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
Moist Air ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Stratus Clouds

Abstract Given the large discrepancies that exist in climate models for shortwave cloud forcing over eastern China (EC), the dynamic (vertical motion and horizontal circulation) and thermodynamic (stability) relations of stratus clouds and the associated cloud radiative forcing in the cold season are examined. Unlike the stratus clouds over the southeastern Pacific Ocean (as a representative of marine boundary stratus), where thermodynamic forcing plays a primary role, the stratus clouds over EC are affected by both dynamic and thermodynamic factors. The Tibetan Plateau (TP)-forced low-level large-scale lifting and high stability over EC favor the accumulation of abundant saturated moist air, which contributes to the formation of stratus clouds. The TP slows down the westerly overflow through a frictional effect, resulting in midlevel divergence, and forces the low-level surrounding flows, resulting in convergence. Both midlevel divergence and low-level convergence sustain a rising motion and vertical water vapor transport over EC. The surface cold air is advected from the Siberian high by the surrounding northerly flow, causing low-level cooling. The cooling effect is enhanced by the blocking of the YunGui Plateau. The southwesterly wind carrying warm, moist air from the east Bay of Bengal is uplifted by the HengDuan Mountains via topographical forcing; the midtropospheric westerly flow further advects the warm air downstream of the TP, moistening and warming the middle troposphere on the lee side of the TP. The low-level cooling and midlevel warming together increase the stability. The favorable dynamic and thermodynamic large-scale environment allows for the formation of stratus clouds over EC during the cold season.

Physiochemical characteristics of indoor PM2.5 with combustion of dried yak dung as biofuel in Tibetan Plateau, China

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 737-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tafeng Hu ◽  
Junji Cao ◽  
Shuncheng Lee ◽  
Kinfai Ho ◽  
Xuxiang Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Indoor Pm2.5 ◽  
Yak Dung

scholarly journals Effects of Dietary Protein Levels on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, Serum Metabolites, and Meat Composition of Tibetan Sheep during the Cold Season on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 801
Author(s):  
Xungang Wang ◽  
Tianwei Xu ◽  
Xiaoling Zhang ◽  
Yuanyue Geng ◽  
Shengping Kang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Growth Performance ◽  
Dietary Protein ◽  
Carcass Traits ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
Serum Metabolites ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Meat Composition ◽  
Tibetan Sheep ◽  
Body Weights

Dietary protein is a critical nutrient that directly influences the health and production of livestock. Recent studies showed that protein supplements could enhance the growth performance of Tibetan sheep. However, there is a lack of information regarding the influence of dietary protein levels on carcass traits and meat composition. This study investigated the effects of dietary protein levels on growth performance, carcass traits, serum metabolites, and meat composition in Tibetan sheep during the cold season on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. A total of eighteen 1-year-old, healthy, castrated Tibetan sheep with similar initial body weights (31.7 ± 0.72 kg) were randomly divided into three treatment groups with different dietary protein level (low protein (LP, 10.1%); medium protein (MP, 12.1%); high protein (HP, 14.1%)) diets. The results indicated that the Tibetan sheep fed with the MP and HP diets had greater final body weights (BWs), average daily gains (ADGs), and average daily feed intakes (ADFIs) (p < 0.05). The MP and HP diets also improved the hot carcass weight, net meat (including the fat) weight, and bone weight of the sheep significantly (p < 0.05). Besides, the dietary protein levels could significantly affect the serum concentrations of growth hormone (p < 0.05). The diameter of muscle fibers in the MP group was significantly greater than that in the LP group (p < 0.05), while the density of muscle fibers showed the opposite trend. The dietary protein levels only significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the ether extract content and profile content of the longissimus dorsi muscle but had no effect on other parameters of meat composition. In summary, our results indicate that dietary protein levels affect growth performance, carcass traits, and meat composition and that diets containing 12.1% and 14.1% protein are recommended to obtain better production performance and meat products in Tibetan sheep, rather than a diet containing 10.1% protein, during the cold season on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

scholarly journals Seasonal hogget grazing as a potential alternative grazing system for the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau: weight gain and animal behaviour under continuous or rotational grazing at high or low stocking rates

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 329 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. C. Du ◽  
T. Yan ◽  
S. H. Chang ◽  
Z. F. Wang ◽  
F. J. Hou
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Production Efficiency ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
Bodyweight Gain ◽  
Rotational Grazing ◽  
Grazing System ◽  
Tibetan Sheep ◽  
Utilisation Efficiency

The traditional transhumance grazing system on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is being replaced by a system in which pastoralists are allocated fixed areas for grazing. In this context, we conducted experiments to evaluate a possible change to seasonal grazing of young animals for weight gain, and the effects of grazing management (continuous grazing (CG) vs rotational grazing (RG)) and stocking rate (SR) on the performance and behaviour of Oura-type Tibetan sheep. In Experiment 1 (June–December 2014), 72 Tibetan sheep (initial bodyweight (BW) 32.2 ± 3.37 kg) were allocated to one of three treatments: (1) CG24 – eight sheep grazed continuously in a single 2-ha plot for the entire duration of the experiment; (2) RG24 – eight sheep grazed in a 1-ha plot from June to September (growing season), and then moved to a new plot for September–December grazing (early cold season); (3) RG48 – eight sheep grazed in a 0.5-ha plot, but otherwise as for RG24. All treatments had three replicates. In Experiment 2 (September–December 2014), 48 Tibetan sheep (initial BW 46.3 ± 1.62 kg) were used to repeat the RG24 and RG48 treatments imposed in the early cold season of the Experiment 1. In both experiments, increasing SR significantly reduced bodyweight gain (BWG) per head and increased BWG per ha in the RG treatments. In Experiment 1, RG, compared with CG, did not significantly affect BWG per head, BWG per ha, or feed utilisation efficiency. In both experiments weight gain was small or negative in the early cold season. These results indicate that removal of sheep at the onset of the cold season will be important for retention of the weight gain achieved in the growing season but choice between a CG and RG grazing system is unimportant for the production efficiency in the proposed grazing system of Tibetan sheep.

Benefiting Remote Tibetan Communities with Solar Cooker Technology

2007 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-31
Author(s):  
Dave Webb ◽  
Kevin Stuart
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Vicious Cycle ◽  
The Past ◽  
Chinese Province ◽  
Extreme Cold ◽  
Normal University ◽  
English Training ◽  
Yak Dung

In the remote northwestern Chinese province of Qinghai (Tibetan plateau), the Tibetan people struggle to gather yak dung, wood, straw, and other fuels for heating, boiling, and cooking—the basic necessities for survival. Over the past seven years, extreme cold (-35°C) and drought has had a significant effect on the environment, the Tibetan people, and the livestock and crops upon which these people depend. The environment has become increasingly denuded and many Tibetans, both farmers and herders, are caught in a vicious cycle of destitution. The use of solar cookers as a partial substitute for dung, wood, bushes and straw has helped alleviate this cycle. This paper reports on the accrued benefits to remote Tibetan communities following a program of solar cooker introduction to 48 such recipient communities. Work carried out in 2003 primarily by Tibetan students studying in an English Training Program, at the Qinghai Nationalities Teacher's College, Qinghai Normal University, Xining City, PRC (supported by the Canada Fund) combined with observations over three visits to the region in 2003 and 2004 are discussed.

Effects of rock fragments on yak dung greenhouse gas emissions on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2006-2014
Author(s):  
Zi-yin Du ◽  
Xiao-dan Wang ◽  
Xiu-ping Liu ◽  
Yan-jiang Cai
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Rock Fragments ◽  
Yak Dung

scholarly journals Isotopic constraints on atmospheric sulfate formation pathways in the Mt. Everest region, southern Tibetan Plateau

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Wang ◽  
Shohei Hattori ◽  
Mang Lin ◽  
Sakiko Ishino ◽  
Becky Alexander ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
Sulfur Cycle ◽  
Formation Mechanisms ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Sampling Campaign ◽  
Water Ph ◽  
Southern Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Sulfate Formation

Abstract. As an important atmosphere constituent, sulfate aerosols exert profound impacts on climate, ecological environment, and human health. The Tibetan Plateau (TP), identified as the Third Pole, contains the largest land ice masses outside the poles and has attracted wide attention on its environment and climatic change. However, the mechanisms of sulfate formation in this specific region remain poorly characterized. Oxygen-17 anomaly (Δ17O) has been used as a probe to constrain the relative importance of different pathways leading to sulfate formation. Here, we report the Δ17O values in atmospheric sulfate collected at a remote site in the Mt. Everest region to decipher the possible formation mechanisms of sulfate in such a pristine environment. Throughout the sampling campaign (April–September 2018), the Δ17O in non-dust sulfate show an average of 1.7 ± 0.5 ‰ which is higher than most existing data in modern atmospheric sulfate. The seasonality of Δ17O in non-dust sulfate exhibits high values in the pre-monsoon and low values in the monsoon, opposite to the seasonality in Δ17O for both sulfate and nitrate (i.e., minima in warm season and maxima in cold season) observed from diverse geographic sites. This high Δ17O in non-dust sulfate found in this region clearly indicates the important role of the S(IV) + O3 pathway in atmospheric sulfate formation promoted by high cloud water pH condition. Overall, our study provides an observational constraint on atmospheric acidity in altering sulfate formation pathways particularly in dust-rich environments, and such identification of key processes provides an important basis for a better understanding of the sulfur cycle in the TP.

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