Achievement

Dr. Don Waller and trainee Michelle Haynes are investigating plant dynamics in response to grazing in the world’s most biodiverse temperate region. Because disturbance can both enhance and diminish diversity, it is important to assess how grazing affects these forb-dominated alpine communities that serve as summer pastures for Tibetan herders. We characterized the plant community in several alpine rangelands that vary in grazing intensity to assess how land management practices used by Tibetan yak herders affect these communities. We compared randomly stratified alpine meadow communities with high intensity grazing communities, showing a decrease in species richness along an increase in grazing pressure. Yak herders describe the problem of shrub encroachment and voice frustration at shrinking grasslands. As suitable areas for grazing decline, herd sizes have increased over recent decades, intensifying their impact on palatable plants and threatening the rich diversity of the region.