OVERVIEW
Tibetan Plateau Steppe is one of the Earth's most biologically outstanding habitats (one of the Global 200 Ecoregions developed by World Wildlife Fund). The major biome in this ecoregion is Montane Grasslands and Shrublands. In the map below, it is represented by the southwestern portion of the nude-color shaded area (central Asia, north of Himalayas). It covers a vast area in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, across countries such as China, India, Nepal, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan.
Source: World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Global 200 Ecoregions
http://assets.panda.org/downloads/01g200nonumbershq.jpg
PAST
With an average elevation of nearly 4500 meters, Tibetan Plateau Steppe is known as the "Roof of the World". Historically, it was one of the least populated areas in the world due to the rough terrain, extreme whether condition, long periods of frost, and lack of rainfalls. Only nomadic herdsmen left their footprints around these vast plains surrounded by high mountains. Fleet footed mammals found this expansive steppe a perfect habitat - they settled and grew abundantly. Large raptors such as Gyps himalayansis could also be seen.
Tibetan Plateau Landscape
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/reurinkjan/5726263357/
Wolken Berge Wasser Wiese
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/9075858@N02/599113961/After the end of Chinese Civil War in 1950, followed by the establishment of Tibet Autonomous Region, activities such as livestock raising, mining, hunting, and tourism started to impact the environmental status of this region. Local domesticated herds compete with wild animals for limited natural resources. Mining has been reported to destroy wildlife habitats and poison streams with the use of machines and chemicals such as dredges, cyanide, and mercury. Animal species endemic to the steppe such as Tibetan antelope and Argali wild sheep, although used to be abundant, have become highly endangered after decades of unsustainable slaughter.
Source: http://tibetanplateau.blogspot.com/2011/07/wdfwe.html
Among the most endangered animal species within this ecoregion, Tibetan antelope receives the most spotlight. This magical mammal managed to adapt to the most rigorous environment in the world, yet found no escape under humans' gunshots. Their warm, soft, and light-weighted underwool, known as shahtoosh, can be made into beautiful shawls and clothes. High demand for such product, both domestically and overseas, has led to serious commercial poaching of Tibetan antelope. During the last three decades, an average of 20,000 Tibetan antelopes were killed each year. The number of Tibetan antelope has declined from around a million 50 years ago to less than 75,000 today. It has been listed as endangered by the World Conservation Union and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as by the Chinese government as First-Class National Protected Animal.
Tibetan Antelope
Poached Tibetan Antelope
PRESENT
Qingzang Railway: Number of Passengers (Accumulated)
Time Period | Number of Passengers |
July 2006 – June 2009 | 8,300,000 |
July 2006 – June 2010 | 27,000,000 |
July 2006 – June 2011 | 41,000,000 |
Scatter Plot based on the chart above
Data Source:
http://money.163.com/09/0628/19/5CTUTMKH00253B0H.html#from=relevant
http://news.163.com/10/0618/09/69EV39EC000146BD.html
http://money.163.com/11/0722/09/79IAVEQ900253B0H.html#from=relevant
Qingzang Railway
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Qingzangrailwaymap.png (Created by Wikipedia user)
Qingzang Railway across the Steppe
Fortunately, actions have been taken by different domestic and international groups to protect this pristine mountain grassland and the lives relying on it. Chinese government has established Altun Mountains National Nature Reserve in 1983, Changtang National Nature Reserve in 1992, and Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve in 1997 specially for the protection of endangered plateau species. Scientists from different countries are able to conduct researches within the reserves. CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) prohibits international trading of shahtoosh (Tibetan antelope underwool) in its Appendix I. As demand for related product decreases, commercial poaching is likely to decrease accordingly.
Concerns surrounding the impacts of Qingzang Railway on this ecoregion have been addressed. After several years of close monitoring, China's most prestigious zoologists Qisen Yang and Lin Xia published their research progress on the Nature magazine in April 2008. Yang and Xia's studies showed that, from 2003, when construction of the railway started, to 2008, Tibetan antelope has been slowly adjusting their migrating routes to avoid railways and highways. They have adapted to going through the underpasses designed specially for wildlife migration. However, Yang and Xia also point out that, as the area develops further, more cares need to be given. An article titled "The Green Line" in the September 3, 2009 volume of Beijing Review also presents various evidence that proves Qingzang Railway to be environmental responsible.
Tibetan antelope migrating through the railway underpasses
Source: Nature magazine, 4/17/2008, Vol. 452 Issue 7189, p810, "Tibetan wildlife is getting used to the railway"
FUTURE
Nevertheless, as this once uninhabited region started to be exposed to industrialization, new environmental issues will be discovered as time goes by.
Even with national nature reserves and CITES prohibition, poachers can still find their way deep into the steppe and continue their slaughter. Illegal trading is being conducted secretly along the borders of countries such as India and Nepal. Due to the expanses of this region as well as other political and economic complications, Chinese government has been having trouble finding an effective way to eliminate commercial poaching of endangered plateau species. If the trend continues, we can expect species such as Tibetan antelope to go extinct not far in the future.
Other potential issues mainly associate with increasing tourism and large scale mining. From the scatter plot above, we can see how the number of tourists to Tibet increased rapidly with the completion of Qingzang Railway. Although there is no scientific study on this matter yet, increasing tourism will for sure bring in more trash and more poachers to the steppe, potentially leads to further damage on local fauna and flora habitats. China's plan to exploit Tibetan mineral deposits on a large scale will lead to much more serious environmental issues. The process is now under close watch.
THOUGHTS
In my opinion, in order to substantially change the future prospects of Tibetan Plateau Steppe, education and legislation are the keys. If we can criminalize both domestic and international trading of shahtoosh as well as any use of it (e.g. by fashion industry), with better international cooperation and a complete set of punishment rules, the demand for shahtoosh can be eliminated completely. We should also educate the public through both legal and emotional approaches so they will stop using the product voluntarily.
Another important strategy is the development of green energy and materials. By replacing fossil fuels such as coal with environmental friendly energy sources, air pollution caused by the Qingzang Railway will be largely reduced. If some kind of reliable green material can be invented and replace metals in industrial production (e.g. automobile) in the future, large scale mining in Tibet wouldn't be necessary any more.
REFERENCE
1. "Tibetan wildlife is getting used to the railway", Nature, 4/17/2008, Vol. 452 Issue 7189, p810
2. "The Green Line", Beijing Review, 9/3/2009, Vol. 52 Issue 35, p22-22
3. WWF Tibetan Plateau Steppe:
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/tibetan_plateau_steppe.cfm
http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/g200/g110.html
4. WWF Tibetan Antelope
http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/globalmarkets/wildlifetrade/buyersbeware-antelope.html
5. Wikipedia: Qinghai-Tibet Railway
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qinghai%E2%80%93Tibet_Railway
6. Wikipedia: List of National Nature Reserves in China
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_Naturschutzgebiete_in_der_Volksrepublik_China
7. Hudong Wiki on "Association of Tibetan Antelope Preservation Volunteers of China"
http://www.hudong.com/wiki/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E5%BF%97%E6%84%BF%E8%80%85%E4%BF%9D%E6%8A%A4%E8%97%8F%E7%BE%9A%E7%BE%8A%E5%8D%8F%E4%BC%9A
8. Tibet’s mining menace
http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/4509
