Alpine Steppe Ecosystem

This chapter focuses on Chinese alpine steppe ecosystems. It introduces in brief the areal extent and provincially based distribution of this ecosystem type, simply discusses the relevant physical features and climatic characteristics at a regional scale, elaborates in great detail upon the flora, fauna, and microflora composing the various alpine steppe ecosystems, and describes in much greater detail the major formations or formation groups of the alpine steppe vegetation nationwide. It also summarizes the standing crops of canopy and root biomass and their allocation pattern of certain important communities. In addition, it expounds on the succession characteristics and their responses to the management and utilization steps of certain alpine steppe ecosystems.