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This book comprehensively covers the topics of origin and distribution, evolution and types, regional and global importance, biodiversity conservation, plant-soil interfaces, ecosystem functions and services, social-ecological systems, climate change adaptations, land degradation and restoration, grazing management and pastoral production, and sustainable future of the grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), which is a globally unique eco-region called the "Roof of the World" because of its high elevation, "Third Pole on Earth" because of its alpine environment and the "Water Tower in Asia" because of its headwater location. The grassland ecosystem covers above 60% of QTP, which is about 2.5 million km2, a quarter of China's total territorial lands.
The grassland ecosystem of the QTP (the Third Pole) is an important part of the Palaearctic region, which features alpine cover and low oxygen. The Third Pole's grasslands not only provide important ecosystem functions such as biodiversity conservation, carbon storage, water resource regulation, climate control, and natural disaster mitigation at a global scale, but also provide critical ecosystem services such as pastoral production, cultural inheritance, and tourism and recreation at local and regional scales.
The purposes of this monograph are to address the following questions: (1) What are the special features of the Third Pole's grasslands? (2) How have climate changes and human activities changed the structures and functions of the Third Pole's grasslands? (3) How can we cope with land degradation and climate change through innovative restoration and protective actions for Third Pole's grasslands? And (4) How can we promote the sustainable development of social-ecological systems of the Third Pole's grasslands through best management practices including grazing. The goal of this book is to attract the attention of international audiences to realize the importance of the Third Pole's grasslands, and to call for the actions of global communities to effectively protect and sustainably use the Third Pole's grasslands. This book can serve as a textbook, teaching materials and documentaries for different audiences. The target audiences include students, teachers, researchers, policymakers, planners, government officials, and NGOs in agricultural, environmental and natural resources sectors.
1. Introduction to the Third Pole
2. Overview of the Third Pole's Grasslands
3. Third Pole's Grasslands in the Global Context
4. Grassland Plant-soil interfaces
5. Grassland biodiversity and conservation
6. Grassland ecosystem function and service
7. Grazing management and pastoral production
8. Grassland Social-ecological systems
9. Grassland degradation and restoration
10. Climate change and adaptation of Grassland
11. Future of the Third Pole's Grasslands
Shikui Dong is dean and full professor at the School of Grasslands, Beijing Forestry University, China and an adjunct professor at Cornell University, USA. His research focuses on Alpine Grassland Management and Sustainable Development, Alpine Ecosystem Restoration and Protection, and Coupled Human-Natural Systems in Environmental Protection. He participated in and coordinated over 20 projects from the National Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of China, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) of China (MAC) and international funding resources such as UNEP to examine the problems and solutions in sustainable grassland development in rural Western China and fragile areas of Hindu Hush Himalayan regions since the beginning of 21st Century. He serves on the international editorial board of peer-reviewed journals such as Restoration Ecology, and Scientific Report. He has published over 350 publications, of which about 16 books (including 3 books published by Springer). His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Agriculture Ecosystem and Environment, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Bioscience, Ecology and Society, Ecohealth, Ecological Engineering, Journal of Environmental Management, PLOS One, Plant and Soil, and The Rangeland Journal. He serves as Regional Chair for Northeast Asia, Commission of Ecosystem Management, IUCN, and deputy director-general for China Grassland Society.
