1. Ecological Character of the Qinghai-Tibet
Railway
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Significance of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
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Five ecological sections and their characteristics
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A wealth of rare species
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Fragile ecology
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Diverse natural landscape
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Vastly-distributed wetlands
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Nature reserves
2.
Principles and solutions for ecological protection
1. Ecological Character of the Qinghai-Tibet
Railway
Significance of the
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Often referred to as "the Roof of the World" and "the Third Pole
of the World," the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is China's "climate
adjuster" and may in fact influence weather patterns throughout
many other parts of the world. From the plateau water flows to form
rivers in what is a powerful ecological resource for both China and
south Asia. With this quite unique ecological system it's an
important starting point for many mountainous biological species of
the world. The primitive ecological conditions have remained almost
untouched, including the deeply frozen earth, lakes, wetlands,
gentle-sloping hills and rare fauna and flora. It has significant
ecological and scientific research value and holds special
importance to the global environment.
Five ecological sections and their
characteristics
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway travels through the hinterland of the
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau for a distance of 1,110 kilometers. The
various areas along the railway line are divided into five sections
where the geomorphology, climate and vegetation are varied and
ecological protection measures have been put in place
accordingly.
(1) Golmud-Nanshankou section is relatively flat in terms of
terrain, sloping northwards with an altitude of 2,800-3,000 meters.
It's part of the arid climate zone of the Qaidam Basin. This
district is scorching in summer and freezing in winter. The annual
average temperature is 6.7?C with the highest being 35.5?C and
lowest being 33.6?C below zero. The annual average precipitation is
40 mm with a relative humidity of 32 percent. This section is part
of the Gobi ecosystem. The landscape is desert where vegetation,
mainly the xerophyte bush, is sparse and covers only 2 percent of
the land area.?
(2) Nanshankou-Kunlun Mountains section is in the river valley
of the Kunlun Mountains with an altitude of 3,000-4,770 meters. The
railway line in this district stretches upwards along the Golmud,
Kunlun and Xiaonanchuan rivers. In the dry climate zone to the
north of Kunlun Mountains, this section has an annual average
temperature of 3.6?C below zero. The annual average precipitation
is 250-300 mm and relative humidity is 47 percent. The area under
3,500 meters has a hilly desert ecosystem which transforms
gradually into prairie when the land stretches upwards beyond 3,500
meters. The vegetation coverage is 15-25 percent.
(3) Kunlun-Tanggula Mountains section sits at an altitude of
4,500 to 5,200 meters. This section is arid and cold featuring
changeable weather, thin air and low pressure. The annual average
temperature is between 2?C below zero and 6.9?C with the highest at
24.2?C and lowest at 45.2?C below zero. The annual average
precipitation is 250-300 mm. The main part is frigid prairie except
for a few areas of grassy marshland and meadow. The high and frigid
prairie environment is a typical natural ecosystem of central
Asia.
(4) Tanggula Mountains to Damxung section is in the North Tibet
Plateau with an altitude between 4,300 and 5,200 meters. Affected
by the maritime climate, it has a sub-dry climate. The annual
average temperature is between 1.3?C below zero and 2.9?C with the
highest at 24.2?C and lowest at 41?C below zero. The annual average
precipitation is 293-430 mm. A high and frigid meadow ecological
system dominates the main areas and wormwood and grassy marshland
cover 60-90 percent of the ground. The wormwood meadow covers the
largest region growing on the vast plateau in Nagqu and Amdo. The
North Tibet Wormwood meadow and grassy marshland have a small and
separate distribution normally in low-lying areas alongside
rivers.
(5) Damxung-Lhasa section has an elevation of 3,640-4,300
meters. The Damxung-Yangbajing part is in the valley at the
southern foot of the Nyainqêntanglha Mountains where the land is
open and flat. The Yangbajing-Lhasa section is located in the
steeply sloped Zangbo River canyon and the valley basin of Lhasa
River. This section has a sub-dry climate zone with a shrubbery and
grassland ecosystem. The annual average temperature is 1.6-7.8?C
with the high of 29.6?C and low of 35.9?C below zero. The annual
average precipitation is 407-468 mm. About 40 percent of the land
is covered by brush and 10-30 percent by grassland vegetation.
A wealth of rare species
The unique natural conditions and abundant natural resources in
the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are home to a wide variety of animals and
plants. The plateau is on the list of areas with priority in the
World Wildlife Fund's global bio-diversity conservation program as
well as being part of a similar initiative being undertaken by the
Chinese government.
The areas which the railway runs through have fewer animal
species but most of these are rare. There are about 16 mammal
species of which 11 are peculiar to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and
30 species of bird with 7 peculiar to the plateau. Under the state
first-level protection are the Tibetan antelope, Tibetan kiang,
wild yak, white-lipped deer, snow leopard, Tibetan snow cock and
black-necked crane. Among animals under state second-level
protection are Mongolian gazelle, lynx, brown bear and bar-headed
goose. There are approximately 202 varieties of plants in this
region.
The areas on both sides of the railway are home to 14 rare
wildlife species – mainly mammals and birds. Investigation shows
that rare wild plants which are under state-level protection
haven't been found around the route of the railway.??
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Fragile ecology
Due to the high altitude, thin air, very cold and dry climate,
wildlife on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is relatively not abundant.
The low biomass and simple bio-chain causes the process of matter
circulation and energy transformation in the ecosystem to be slow
leading to a fragile eco-environment. Because of the long-term low
temperatures and short growing season it's difficult for vegetation
to recover after being damaged. Moreover, vegetation which has been
harmed can accelerate the melting of frozen earth which could
result in further soil erosion and desertification. At present some
regions along the railway are not populated and natural conditions
remain completely intact. However, in general, scientific research
shows the global warming has affected the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
adversely. ?
Diverse natural landscape
Natural landscapes along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway are diverse
and unique. The high and frozen eco-landscape which is flat and
composed of brush, meadow, prairie and desert and the vertical
eco-landscape of meadow, prairie and snow and ice belt coexist. The
landscape provides habitats and migration routes for both animals
and birds. Other landscapes offer snow-capped mountains, glaciers,
the frozen earth, rivers, canyons and extensive grasslands.
Vastly-distributed wetlands
Wetland along the railway line can be classified in three ways –
marsh, lake and riverbed.
The wetland in the Kunlun and Tanggula Mountains section is
marsh and riverbed wetland. This was formed by melting ice and
river water overflows, the distribution of which is scattered and
inconsistent. The railway passes through 50 such wetlands in this
section which covers 15 kilometers.
The Tanggula Mountains-Lhasa section has many wetlands most of
which are marsh and lake. ?The Nyainrong-Amdo and Nagqu
wetlands which the railway line passes through are part of the
Action Plan for the Protection of China's Wetlands. The
Nyainrong-Amdo wetland is located in the area between the Tanggula
Mountains and Co Nag Lake covering 3,879 square meters at an
altitude of 4,500-5,200 meters. The earth here is peat, meadow and
humus bog soil and the main vegetation is North Tibet Wormwood. The
Nagqu Wetland is at an elevation of 4,300-4,800 meters and the
railway will pass through 25 kilometers of it.
Nature reserves
There are five established nature reserves and six are planned
along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. The five completed are the Hoh Xil
Nature Reserve and Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve in Qinghai Province;
Qiangtang Nature Reserve, Linzhou Pengbo Black-necked Cranes Nature
Reserve and Lalu Wetland Nature Reserve in Tibet Autonomous Region.
The six planned ones, all in Tibet, are the Yijiang Lianghe Nature
Reserve (Yijiang refers to the Yarlung Zangbo River and Lianghe
refers to the Lhasa and the Nyang-chu rivers); Namco Nature
Reserve; Yangbajing-Geda Hot Spring Snakes Nature Reserve; Lhasa
Ancient Cypress Forest Nature Reserve and the Dagze Yaiba Karst
Landscape; and Maxiang Nature Reserve in Deqen County. The
Qinghai-Tibet Railway runs across the Hoh Xil, Sanjiangyuan and the
planned Yijiang Lianghe Nature Reserve.
(1) The Hoh Xil Nature Reserve
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The nature reserve was established in October 1995 and was put
under state-level protection in December 1997. It includes south
Kunlun, north Tanggula and south Hoh Xil mountains. It covers an
area of 45,000 square kilometers. Protected are rare wildlife and
plants as well as the primeval natural environment, the frozen
grassland ecosystem and natural landscape. All these things are of
special significance. It is within the jurisdiction of the Yushu
Prefecture of Qinghai Province. The railway runs across 100
kilometers of the nature reserve.
(2) The Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve
The nature reserve was established in May 2000 and is applying
for state-level protection. It includes Qinghai's Yushu and Golog
Tibetan autonomous prefectures; Zekog and Henan counties in the
Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture; Xinghai and Tongde counties
in the Hainan Tibet Autonomous Prefecture; and Tanggulashan
Township of Golmud City. It has a total area of 318,000 square
kilometers, accounting for 44.1 percent of the total area of
Qinghai Province. Things protected include the entire natural water
resource environment, bio-diversity and plateau ecosystem.
According to natural resource distribution, protected species and
goals, the nature reserve is divided into three key areas – 25 core
zones, 25 buffer zones and 1 experimental zone. The railway runs
across 193.4 kilometers of the experimental zone in the section
from north Tangulashan Township to the Tanggula Mountain; through
119.75 kilometers of the experimental zone of the Qumar River
Wildlife Core Protection Area in the section from the Kunlun
Mountains to the northern border of Tanggulashan Township; and
14.91 kilometers of the border of the Suojia Wildlife Core
Protection Area's experimental zone.
(3) The planned Yijiang Lianghe Nature Reserve
This nature reserve is a planned area aiming to protect Tibetan
black-necked cranes' breeding habitats. With Xainza at the center
it includes the other six areas of Nagqu, Ngari, Shannan, Nyingchi,
Qamdo and Xigaze and 41 counties in Lhasa. It will be divided into
a number of zones – center protection, satellite protection and
seasonal protection. The satellite area is composed of four large
lakes and many scattered wetland protection areas. Plans for these
areas have yet to be drawn up. The railway runs across 61
kilometers of scattered wetland protection areas near Amdo and
Nagqu. Seasonal protection areas are divided into core areas
including the habitats of black-necked cranes and seasonal buffer
zones where the birds look for food. The railway runs across 17.1
kilometers of the seasonal buffer zone in the lower reaches of the
Lhasa River.
The railway runs across 78.2 kilometers of the planned Yijiang
Lianghe Nature Reserve.
2. Principles and solutions for
ecological protection
The ecological environment along the route of the railway is
extremely fragile. If damaged recovery would be extremely
difficult. The engineering design concept recognizes the principle,
"with prevention as the main point and with protection as the top
priority".
Designers and builders must have high environmental protection
awareness to protect wild plants, animals, wetlands, the frozen
earth environment, water resources and water quality along the
railway.
When the line passes through the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve, the
Qumar River and the Suojia Wildlife Protection Area, designers must
make plans to reduce any loss of protection areas and the impact on
the environment.
When passing environmentally sensitive belts like lakes and
wetlands, designers must make a series of selective plans to deal
with it or simply make a detour.
According to wild species' distribution, habitat and breeding
characteristics, special passageways must be built for them to move
across the railway.
Plans must be made to strengthen the mixing intensity of earth
and rock and reduce the number of earth-collecting sites and the
volume of earth abandoned.
To protect the ecological environment and natural landscape
along the railway, earth-collecting projects must be conducted by
collecting earth in sections. Earth-collection site should be built
in hillocks, flood lands or icy areas which are at least 200 meters
away from the railway.
Marsh, lake, riverbed wetlands along the railway have not only
special ecological functions of conserving soil fertility but also
are habitats for wildlife. Earth sites resulting from the project
must avoid this type of wetland to protect its special ecological
functions.
When encountering flowing water and wetland areas, measures such
as building bridges and increasing their culvert intensity must be
taken to avoid cutting or blocking surface and underground water
runoff.
Engineering buildings must be planned and built according to
their topographic conditions and hydrological characteristics. No
one can force any decisions which would change surface runoff
directions, ditches or rivers.
Temporary projects are forbidden to be placed in, or near, the
passageways installed for wild animals.
Meadow vegetation must be removed by being cut into pieces and
taken to locations suitable for their replanting. Keep surface soil
at the earth-collecting sites together so as to recover the growing
capabilities soon as the earth removal work is complete. Prepare
effective and feasible vegetation recovery proposals for areas
around roadbed projects. Strictly forbid the digging out of meadow
areas for the protection of roadbed projects.
Strengthen the management of slag-tipping and reduce the number
of slag sites. Choose low-lying, non-surface runoff and sparse
vegetation areas to keep unusable slag. Forbid the occupation of
rivers, lakes, wetlands and nature reserve's buffer and core zones,
and the grassland areas where frigid vegetation is growing.
(China.org.cn June 26, 2006)