ABSTRACT
Very few vegetation and biodiversity studies of the Tibetan plateau have been undertaken due to the harsh conditions. On the Tibetan plateau a given vegetation type usually occupies a very large area, which underlines both the homogeneity of plant communities and of environments. This chapter describes plant biodiversity across vegetation ecotones of the Tibetan plateau. It aims to detect possible correlations between plant species diversity and ecological factors, with special emphasis on elevational effects. The Tibetan plateau is the highest plateau in the world and is often called ‘the third pole’. This area influences Eurasian atmospheric circulation, the distribution of ecosystems and their structure, function, adaptation, and evolutionary patterns. The reduction in plant species richness with latitude corresponds to the vegetation pattern of the Tibetan plateau and China in general, but species numbers are very low compared to other mountain regions of the world.
