Model Expectation of Impacts of Global Climate Change on Biomes of the Tibetan Plateau

Tibetan Plateau with the average altitude of about 5000m is one of very important regions in the world, because its natural conditions are very severe and much vulnerable to changes in climate. Therefore it is expected that changes in climate and consequent biomes on this region may play a role of pilot and/or pioneer in monitoring the global environmental degradation due to intensive human activity. In this paper, the responses of biomes on the Tibetan Plateau to the global climate change induced by doubled CO2 were studied using improved Holdridge life zone classification system, vertical vegetation belt system, permafrost model, and NPP model. The global climate changes will cause the considerable changes in the vertical distribution of vegetation, permafrost zone, and NPP-values on the Tibetan Plateau. It was expected that the increment in annual mean temperature by 4 °C and annual precipitation by 10% under doubled CO2 condition would accerelate the speed of desertification which is spreading on this area mainly due to the intensive mass land use at present.