Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
V
e
rtic
a
l T
e
mprature Zone of
Qinghi-Tibet Plateau
Cold Temprature Zone
Cool Temprature Zone
Warm Temprature Zone
Subtropical Zone
Tropical Zone
Fig. 1.1
There are several major climate zones with a high proportion of cold arid regions such as
in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
arid zone with a rainfall less than 200 mm. The annual rainfall is about 648 mm
on average, 150 mm less than the world's annual average level. The annual average
run-off depth is 284 mm, 30 mm less than the world's average level. The average
amount of water for 1 mu (667 m
2
) is about 1,888 m
3
.
The Chinese government, beginning in the 1950s, set up a large number of
artificial oases in the deserts using water derived from inland rivers that arise in
the snow fields of adjacent mountains and by exploiting groundwater. Groundwater
recharge was severely hampered by the damming of streams. As a result of over-
extraction, water tables have fallen creating cones of depletion of groundwater in
a number of regions. This has led to death of riparian vegetation and increased
frequency and severity of dust and sandstorms (DSS) in north-west China (Lu et al.
2002
).
There are a few unique (and now endangered) plant and animal species. Total
kinds of unique and ancient seed plant are only 700 - among them the desert seed
plants in high altitude/frigid region. Many plant species are unique especially those
in the genera
Tetraena
,
Tugarinovia
and
Stilpnolepis
. Wild horse, wild ass, wild
camel, the Xinjiang red deer, the high nose antelope, the Pushi antelope etc. are
some of the animals found in desert regions. The wild yak and Tibet antelope are
found in the relatively high altitude regions where climatic conditions are severe.
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