Ecogenesis of the huang he headwaters

Abstract

The Huang He headwaters (33–36°N) occupy stepped suites of intermontane basins between 3000 and 6000 m asl separated by rugged gorges, hills and high mountains. Located in Qinghai’s Sanjiangyuan region, the headwater’s heterogeneous climate ecotypes reflect diverse habitat-meteorological relationships, producing boreal and temperate forests, subalpine shrublands, heathlands and meadows, alpine meadows and nival screefields. This chapter applies transdisciplinary research methods and complex open system geoscientific methods to assess the polygenetic origins and adaptive evolution of ecosystems in the headwaters region. Reconnaissance surveys included benchmark audits of rangeland valleys, undertaken over five years in all seasons. Appraisals of ecological dynamics and adaptive coevolution of rangeland ecosystems over Palaeolithic–Mesolithic–Neolithic times demonstrate how widespread deforestation and drainage of wetlands for pastoral grazing induced the emergence of “golf course” grasslands. Unintended consequences arising from traditional pastoral cultures included widespread soil erosion, subsequently leading to severe salinity and flash flooding, and ending in extreme pastoral desertification. The long-term ecological and socio-economic consequences of these watershed calamities on downstream communities are succinctly acknowledged by the renowned epithet for the Huang He as China’s Sorrow. As access to safe drinking water declines, and casualties mount from watershed dysfunctions, remedying ecological degradation of the headwaters region is an urgent priority for China. The challenges are not insurmountable, but the choices are few. While engineering and conservation measures may alleviate some symptoms, restoring ecological functionality of the Huang He watershed and its essential life support systems requires ecological strategies for reviving watershed systems, while providing sustainable alternatives to pastoral grazing.