Climate change in the Tibetan Plateau Three Rivers Source Region: 1960-2009

Abstract

Changes observed in nine meteorological variables obtained from the Three Rivers Source Region (TRSR) between 1960 and 2009 were investigated using a fitted linear model, Mann-Kendall test, moving t-test, and Morlet wavelet. Analysis of the regionally scaled annual series from 1960 to 2009 showed that minimum (T min ), maximum (T max ), mean (T mean ) air temperature, precipitation (P ), potential evaporation (E p ), and sunshine hours (SH ) increased while relative humidity (RH ) and wind speed (W ) decreased. Trends were significant at a 99% confidence level for air temperature and at a 95% confidence level for E p and W . With the exception of SH , regional scale changes observed in all variables in the past decade (2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)) when compared to climate norms (means of all climatic variables) from 1961 to 1990 were consistent with their corresponding linear trends from 1960 to 2009. T max , T mean , and drought index (DI ) exhibited one climate jump, T min and RH two, and SH , E p , and W three at a significance level of α = 0.05. On a regional scale, the period from 1986 to 1997 experienced a warmer, drier climate due to higher than average air temperatures, lower P , and higher DI compared to means from 1960 to 2009. The majority of meteorological variables of the TRSR experienced significant (α = 0.05) short periodical cycling between 2 and 5 years. In terms of spatial distribution, seven out of 12 meteorological stations underwent warmer and wetter periods from 1960 to 2009, whereas the other five situated in the southeastern section of the TRSR underwent warmer, drier periods.

Vegetation dynamics and its driving forces from climate change and human activities in the Three-River Source Region, China from 1982 to 2012

“…By contrast, temperature increase slowed down during the growth season after 2001. Although climate warming was aggravated after the 21st century in the TRSR, such warming was mainly contributed by higher temperatures during winter (Xu et al, 2011;Liang et al, 2013). Harris (2010) suggested that vegetation was least affected by temperature when it was dormant in winter compared with other growth stages in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.…”

The pika and the watershed: The impact of small mammal poisoning on the ecohydrology of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

“…Tukey-Kramer comparisons between sites: Poisoned Site versus On Burrow = P \ 0.001; Poisoned Site versus On Colony = P \ 0.004; On Colony versus On Burrow = P \ 0.001 moisture data) and the extremely complex geology of the QTP, the additive impacts of an increased infiltration rate across the range of the plateau pika (nearly the entire QTP; Smith et al 1990;Smith and Xie 2008) on both groundwater retention and runoff control could be large and should be taken into consideration by policy-makers. Many contemporary factors enter into the hydrological profile on the QTP, including changes in grazing intensity, fencing, ''ecological migration,'' and climate change (Bauer 2005;Yan et al 2005;Yeh 2005;Foggin 2008;Xu et al 2009;Immerzeel et al 2010;Liang et al 2013;Yang et al 2014). The difference in runoff potential between poisoned and un-poisoned areas should be considered contributory to these factors.…”

Observed soil temperature trends associated with climate change in the Tibetan Plateau, 1960–2014

“…2) was common for all meteorological stations in the TP, with the exception of significant common downward trends of Lenghu, Menyuan, Geermu, Xining, and Maduo in winter at deep. P decreased from the southeast to the northwest in the TP area owing to the soaring mountains that blocked moisture entering (Liang et al 2013). The proportion of summer P in annual P exceeded 60% for all meteorological stations in the TP.…”