Cryospheric Changes in the Tibetan Plateau and Its Effects on Ecosystem

The core glaciers of China or even the whole Asia are centered on the Tibetan Plateau. The Tibetan plateau also holds one of the world´s most major permafrost areas in high altitude regions. In recent decades, global warming, mainly caused by anthropogenic activities, has deteriorated the conditions in the Tibetan Plateau. The glacier and snow covering in the Tibetan Plateau have been shrinking at a comprehensive and accelerating rate and the permafrost is degenerating. The ecological degradation and significant hydrological changes in river, lake, swamps and wetland in the Tibetan Plateau are closely related to the cryosphere changes. This paper reviews the research on the covering changes of glacier, permafrost and snow across the Tibetan Plateau over the last few decades. For example, according to Chinese glacier inventory statistic, the glacier has decreased from 41, 119 in 1970 to 40, 963 in 2008, the monitoring sites along Tibetan highway illustrated that permafrost with temperature lower than -3°C has mainly warmed without severe degradation but permafrost areas with temperatures higher than -1°C have receded, According to Environmental and Ecological Science Data Center in the west of China, the area of accumulated snow is expanding gradually but the annually snow-covered area is shrinking continuously during 2003-2010. On the other hand, emphases were placed on a discussion of the relationship between cryosphere and ecosystem and investigation of its profound influence.