Arid Zone Research ›› 2019, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (1): 1-6.

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The High Cold Desert Zone and a Cold Arid Core Area of the Tibetan Plateau

ZHENG Du1,2,ZHAO Dong-sheng1   

  1. 1. Institute of Geographic Sciences& Natural Resources Research,CAS,Beijing 100101,China; 2. College of Resources and Environment,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100049,China

  • Received:2018-11-12 Online:2019-01-15 Published:2019-01-17

Abstract: The high cold desert zone, located on the northwestern region, is the highest part of the Tibetan Plateau. This region with extremely cold and arid climate belongs to plateau subcold zone, which is characterized with high mountains and plateau landforms tranversed by lake basins, widespread permafrost and periglacial process, young natural process with shallow cold desert soil, and landscape of high cold desert with interfused composition of biota. Due to the vulnerable eco environment, construction and administration of natural conservation should be strengthened in this region. The cold arid core, existed in the hinterland of high cold desert zone, is a unique geo eco feature in the plateau and alpine region on the Earth.

Key words:  Tibetan Plateau, high cold desert zone, high, cold arid core area, structure, type of altitudinal belt, construction and administration of natural conservation