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eISSN: 2083-5906
ISSN: 1230-1485
ISSN: 1230-1485
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Effects of Climate and Landscape Diversity
on Plant Diversity in the Grasslands of the Qilian
Mountains National Park, China
1
Xining Natural Resources Comprehensive Survey Center, China Geological Survey,
No. 2, Fengqing Road, Chengzhong District, Xining City, Qinghai Province, China
2
Observation Station of Subalpine Ecology Systems in the middle Qilian Mountains, Dehelong Village,
Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, Zhangye City, Gansu Province, China
3
College of Grassland Agricultural Science and Technology, Lanzhou University,
No. 456, Jiayuguan Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, China
Submission date: 2025-01-13
Final revision date: 2025-04-11
Acceptance date: 2025-08-03
Online publication date: 2026-01-29
Corresponding author
Wanqiang Qi
Xining Natural Resources Comprehensive Survey Center, China Geological Survey, No. 2, Fengqing Road, Chengzhong District, Xining City, Qinghai Province, China
Xining Natural Resources Comprehensive Survey Center, China Geological Survey, No. 2, Fengqing Road, Chengzhong District, Xining City, Qinghai Province, China
KEYWORDS
Qilian Mountains National Parkclimate factorslandscape diversitybiodiversityfunctional diversitybiomass
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
The Qilian Mountains National Park is a crucial ecological barrier and pastoral region in China,
rich in biodiversity but ecologically fragile and highly sensitive to climate change and human activities.
This study examines grassland plant communities across the plateau’s latitudinal and longitudinal
zones, focusing on species, functional diversity, and aboveground biomass. We calculated multi-year
averages, trends, and variation coefficients for climate factors (temperature and precipitation) at each
site, along with the landscape diversity index. Key findings include: (1) A warming and drying trend
in southern Qilian Mountains National Park, with significant precipitation variation at wetland meadows;
(2) Plant height and leaf cover respond similarly to climate factors and landscape diversity, with plant
height being more sensitive; (3) Higher climate variability correlates with lower functional diversity
and smaller plant size, suggesting that environmental instability reduces diversity; (4) Landscape
diversity is positively correlated with species diversity and biomass, enhancing productivity; (5) Most
plant diversity indices show a positive relationship with biomass, supporting the role of diversity
in productivity. This study provides valuable insights into the factors driving changes in grassland plant
diversity in the Qilian Mountains National Park, offering evidence to inform biodiversity conservation
strategies in the face of climate change.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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| eISSN: | 2083-5906 |
| ISSN: | 1230-1485 |
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