Application of design theory for restoring the “black beach” degraded rangeland at the headwater areas of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Severe degradation of alpine rangeland into the “black beach” at the headwater areas of the Qinghai- Tibetan Plateau driven by human disturbance and climatic change is limiting the sustainable development of ecological, social and economic systems in both local and downstream regions. Appropriate restoration theory is needed to guide the technical and managerial strategies to restore the degraded alpine rangeland and maintain the upstream-downstream relationships in the ecological web. A ten-year research program of restoring the “black-beach” degraded rangelands at the headwater areas of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau was summarized in this study to clarify the restoration theory guiding the interventions for rehabilitating these rangelands and provide some examples of successful rehabilitations for worldwide alpine rangeland ecosystems. It was found that the design theory was more applicable than the self-design theory in guiding the restoration interventions for “black-beach” degraded rangeland. Replanting guided by the design theory was effective in reconstructing the alpine rangeland vegetation and improving the ecological and economic values of the alpine rangeland ecosystem at the headwater areas of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Seed rain, seed bank and seedling germination should be included in post-restoration monitoring and assessment of restoration practices.