The blue planet where we live was connected by continents hundreds of millions of years ago. Later, the continental plate broke up. Separate the continents. As one of the six major plates of the earth, the Indian plate drifts northward. By the middle Cretaceous, more than 654.38 billion years ago, the Indian plate collided with the Eurasian plate and was embedded under the Eurasian plate, which led to the uplift of the Himalayas. In fact, this young land, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, entered a strong uplift period only 2.4-3.4 million years ago, becoming the highest and youngest plateau on earth.
The water source of wetlands in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau mainly comes from solid reservoirs of snow-capped mountains and glaciers. Secondly, it comes from sky rainfall and groundwater.
The unique water source and complex landform structure of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau make the rivers crisscross here. So the river wetland occupies a certain position here. The sources of the Yangtze River, the Yellow River, the Nujiang River and the Lancang River in China are all here.
There are scattered lakes and wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Due to the vertical and horizontal valleys and basins in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, these huge negative geomorphic spaces provide superior conditions for the development of lakes.
The lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are characterized by group distribution. Geographers call him "independence" and "independence". The total area of lakes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is about 30,000 square kilometers. It accounts for about two-fifths of the total area of lakes in China.
There are also vast grassland wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Grass wetlands are not affected by rivers and lakes, and surface water is too wet or covered with water. Wetlands with grass as dominant plants are called grass wetlands. Grassland wetlands are widely distributed in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Because of their strong adaptability, these herbs have become the main body of plateau wetlands.
There is also a unique family of wetland types in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, that is, forest wetlands. Forest wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are mainly distributed in southeastern Tibet. Here, the mountains are steep, the rainfall is heavy, and it is cold and humid. Such topography and climate are conducive to the development of forest wetlands.
Because of the existence of plateau wetlands, everything on the plateau is alive, and this magnificent plateau is full of vitality and biodiversity.
This huge plateau has become a unique gene bank on the earth. People once imagined that there would be no noisy world on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau without wetlands.
According to the survey, the wetland area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is 750,000 hectares, and there are rich and colorful wetland landscapes here, whether it is river valleys, lake depressions or foothills plains. People call the wetland a dazzling colorful coat on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Please continue to watch the popular science series "Wetlands on the Roof of the World".
Wetlands on the Roof of the World (3)
This is a fantastic world, and this is a mythical world. The scenery of Jiuzhaigou enchants many tourists. People shouldn't just ask why Jiuzhaigou's scenery is so beautiful. Scientists answer that wetlands have created the soul of Jiuzhaigou's scenery and woven Jiuzhaigou's colorful garlands. Scientists admire Jiuzhaigou as a rare wetland in the world, and it can be called a boutique "museum" of wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
In Jiuzhaigou, you can see all kinds of wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Jiuzhaigou has not only many lakes but also rivers, forests and other types of wetlands.
The forest wetlands here. Although it is not as beautiful as lake wetlands and river wetlands, it is unique.
The grassland wetland in Jiuzhaigou is also a big family here. Lush aquatic herbs. Form a huge vegetation community. These diverse flora add a rare ecological beauty to Jiuzhaigou.
People will ask why the water in Jiuzhaigou is so pure. It depends on good forest vegetation. It is no exaggeration to say that the water in Jiuzhaigou is filtered through the forest drop by drop. The powerful filtering function of the forest has created this crystal clear landscape. If there were no dense forests, there would be no such beautiful water features.
The water in Jiuzhaigou can also be colorful. How is this colorful water formed? The clear water is beautiful in color, and whether it is blue sky and white clouds or strange trees and rocks, they all set each other off in the water and form a picture. All kinds of plants under water are also clear and real. What is even more amazing is that there are travertine crystals in Jiuzhaigou water, which are reflected on the water surface and appear colorful.
We put the underwater camera in the lake of Jiuzhaigou, and the water transparency of Jiuzhaigou is amazing. There is a saying in China that "clear water means no fish". Everyone joked: "The person who created this word in those days must have never been to Jiuzhaigou." There is not only clear water here, but also a lot of fish. The fish in Jiuzhaigou are like swimming in the blue sky.
There are many waterfalls in Jiuzhaigou, so how are these waterfalls formed?
Jiuzhaigou is a mountain and canyon landform with a drop of more than 2700 meters. Here, faults are scattered, valleys are covered with steps, and rapids flow down the mountain stream, forming a magnificent waterfall.
If Jiuzhaigou Lake wetland is static beauty, the flowing waterfall is dynamic beauty.
The reason why scientists listed Jiuzhaigou as a "museum" of wetland ecology on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is that besides the complete wetland types, there are also some small landscapes that decorate this magical plateau wetland.
Jiuzhaigou has won the status of world natural heritage with its magical wetland beauty.
Jiuzhai, the beautiful wetland ecology of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, has become a natural treasure of China and even the world.
Wetlands on the Roof of the World (4)
This is the largest lake in China-Qinghai Lake. The highest lake and the largest lake in China are on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is one of the most densely distributed lakes in China. It is no exaggeration to say that the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is a world of lakes and wetlands. According to satellite remote sensing, there are 109 1 lake with an area of over one square kilometer, with a lake area of 44,993.3 square kilometers, which is the largest plateau lake wetland landscape on the earth.
Why did the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau form such a rich lake wetland? Experts believe that in the plate collision, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was strongly squeezed from north to south, forming a huge mountain system and basin arranged in strips. These basins have created conditions for the development of lakes.
We took underwater photos of Bitahai, an alpine lake in the southeast of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. During the filming, we found that although the water temperature in these plateau lakes is low, there are still lush aquatic plants. Some plants are endemic to the plateau.
Due to the cold, there are few floating objects in the water.
The lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have great ecological functions. This lake nourishes all life here. Where there is water, there is a swamp. Thus forming a fertile pasture by the lake.
This is Yangzhuoyong Lake in Tibet, with lush aquatic plants beside it. In summer, some aquatic plants are washed and dried. These aquatic plants become the most ideal feed for cattle and sheep in winter.
Lake wetlands, like river wetlands, provide valuable fresh water resources for all living things on the plateau. There are few rivers in many parts of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the main fresh water resources come from lakes.
The rolling boulders in this picture are not the super pebbles brought by rivers, but the remains of ancient glaciers. Daocheng County in the southeast of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has more than 3,200 square kilometers of plateau lakes formed by ancient ice sheets. Tibetans call it Haizi.
The ancient ice cap area of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The ice body is covered by a large area. The differential erosion under the ice has caused many ice erosion depressions. They accumulated water and formed lakes. This is how these lakes were formed. All belong to glacial lakes.
There are all kinds of strange plants growing around the ice lake. Many varieties of these alpine plants growing at an altitude of about 5000 meters have been mutated due to bad weather.
Generally speaking, the plant species around these glacial lakes are still relatively poor.
Plateau lakes can be said to be varied. Moreover, they all have the following similarities: First, the development of lake basins is controlled by neotectonic movement, and many lake wetlands have a very vast area. Second, most of them are inland lakes, and the main source of lake water is the melting water of mountain ice and snow. Third, the lake area is shrinking. In this way, the water resources of lakes and wetlands are precious.
Plateau lake is the darling of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau wetland. Plateau lake wetland has become a unique ecosystem on the plateau.
Wetlands on the Roof of the World (5)
There is a large area of forest wetlands in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Forest wetlands are mainly distributed in Hengduan Mountain area in southeastern Tibet. The landform here belongs to the alpine zone of transition from temperate zone to cold zone on the plateau, and the annual average temperature is low. The annual rainfall is 700- 1800 mm, where spruce and fir are particularly extensive, the undergrowth vegetation is moist, and shrubs and mosses are lush, forming a relatively broad forest wetland.
In forest wetlands, there are various types of development. Such as spruce fir-sphagnum forest wetland. This wetland is characterized by shrubs under trees. The ground is covered with moss. There is also Salix wetland, which is mainly distributed in the river valley exit zone. Lush trees form an elegant landscape.
The water in forest wetlands is also varied, some are invisible on the surface, some are contained in the moss layer, and some water flows through the moss layer in a thin layer. Others flow faster, and the water goes through the forest.
The vast forest wetlands in the southeast of Tibet on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau constitute a good ecological environment here.
Forest wetlands can induce rainfall. Will make the air too humid, this humid environment is conducive to purifying the air and improving air quality.
This furry thing hanging on the tree is called Luo Song. This kind of plant is extremely demanding on the ecological environment, and it will only appear when the air is particularly humid and there is no pollution.
Forest wetland has strong ecological function, multi-layer structure of trees, shrubs and moss, and high productivity. Forest wetland has great ecological stability. It plays a very important role in preventing ecological degradation.
People compare wetlands to the kidneys of the earth and forests to the lungs of the earth. Then the forest wetland has the functions of both lungs and kidneys. It produces a lot of oxygen for living things. Absorb carbon dioxide and filter the air. At the same time, the water body is purified and the health of the earth's ecological network is maintained. Therefore, the contribution of forest wetlands is very great.
Forest wetlands have unique biodiversity. He has rich plant species, from high coniferous forest to low-grade moss, as well as parasitic and epiphytic plants.
Forest wetlands in Hengduan Mountains in southeastern Tibet were once shelters for animals and plants during the harsh Quaternary Ice Age.
It is precisely because forest wetlands conserve water and play a role in cold and dampness. Only in this way can the plateau wetland system be more perfect in structure and more powerful in function.
Wetlands on the Roof of the World (6)
This is the grassland that the Red Army passed through during the Long March-Zoige. This swamp brought endless hardships to the Red Army at that time. But no one thought it had a huge ecological function. Grassland wetland is the main part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau wetland, covering an area of over 30,000 square kilometers.
On the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, because of its high altitude, forests can't grow in many places, and only herbs with stronger adaptability are full of vitality.
There are peat layers with different thickness in grassland wetland. Peat is in an anaerobic environment, and wetland vegetation cannot be completely decomposed. They are mixed with minerals such as soil and form peat year after year.
Wetlands are fertile pastures on the plateau. Pastures on the plateau can be divided into grasslands, meadows and wetlands. Every early spring, the grassland on the plateau has not yet awakened, and the swamp has sprouted and grown leaves. Because the swamp is rich in aquatic plants, it is the favorite place for cattle and sheep.
Herbs are the dominant plants in wetlands, including aquatic herbs and wet herbs. These plants occupy a certain niche according to their different adaptability to water. They all have the ability of self-adjustment, so as to realize a continuous and endless life.
Hundreds of herbs have been formed in the wetlands on the plateau. These plateau herbs have to accomplish two tasks in a limited time. One is to reproduce, and the other is to save energy to meet the arrival of winter. So you can see flowers in full bloom every time you enter early spring.
The small flowers on the plateau are particularly bright, because of strong ultraviolet radiation, and the bright flowers are conducive to attracting insects, thus achieving the purpose of pollination and fertilization.
The productivity of grassland wetlands is particularly high. For example, the Zoige area has reached more than 5,000 kilograms of fresh grass per hectare. Far more than ordinary grasslands and meadows. It occupies a prominent position in the plateau pastoral area.
Grass wetland can induce rainfall and regulate climate.
Due to human activities, greenhouse gas emissions increase, but wetlands can absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
This powerful ecological effect of grassland wetland is amazing.
Grassland wetland is a paradise for birds. Because grassland wetland has both ecological and environmental characteristics of water and land, it is also the cradle of species diversity.
Grassland wetlands are widely distributed in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, starting from the Yarlung Zangbo River in the west and reaching the Zoige grassland in the east. Now people are more and more aware of the importance of grassland wetland. Grassland wetland is the main body of wetland ecology in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and it shows its irreplaceable ecological function more and more.
Wetlands on the Roof of the World (7)
The vast Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the highest and most concentrated river source on earth. The Yangtze River, Yellow River, Lancang River, Nujiang River and Yarlung Zangbo River in China are all here. There are many tributaries on the plateau, forming a river wetland with vertical and horizontal rivers and a huge water network.
On the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, especially in southeast Tibet. Running water can be seen everywhere, and flowers are blooming everywhere. Here you can deeply feel what "a thousand rivers return to the sea" is. Water, the charm of this natural flower.
All human civilizations originated from magnificent rivers, and 95% of the world's population lives in valleys, basins and deltas. Rivers are the cradle of human civilization.
On the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, some rivers are swift and some rivers are smooth. Trees, shrubs and various herbs grow in the flat places of rivers. Form an orderly river wetland vegetation.
The distribution characteristics of plants here are that most of them grow in strips along the river bay.
These alpine naked carp can be seen in every river on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
These nameless birds can be seen everywhere in rivers and wetlands.
On the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, you can also see a great wonder, that is, there are large tracts of virgin forests beside every river. Because of the river, these virgin forests are well developed. These primeval forests, which cover the sky, decorate the snowy plateau like a green ribbon.
River wetlands and grassland wetlands always depend on each other, and there are good grassland wetlands on every river in the plateau. These herbs depend on the nourishment of river water.
The grassland wetlands are all fat alpine pastures.
River wetland is one of the most widely distributed types in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The biggest feature of river wetland is its high mobility, which makes it the main artery of the whole ecological environment material circulation and moistens the whole plateau land. Become the source of all life.
River wetlands contain all kinds of valuable resources, which provide water, energy, valuable feed and necessary farmland for human beings. With river wetlands, human beings can thrive in the extremely harsh snowy plateau.
Wetlands on the Roof of the World (8)
This is Huanglong, known as the Yaochi on earth.
It is also the most unique wetland type in China and even in the world. Experts call it travertine wetland.
These ridges are not man-made, but caused by nature.
Huanglong is located in Songpan county, southeast Tibet, with an altitude of 3700-4000 meters. There are more than 3,400 lime ponds of different sizes here. Huanglong has become a national-level scenic spot with its unique wetland landscape and has been placed on the throne of the world natural heritage.
So what is travertine? Travertine is a kind of calcium carbonate substance contained in water, which is separated from water and accumulated by recrystallization.
Huanglong is located in Minshan mountain range, and limestone stratum composed of carbonate is very developed, which belongs to muddy shallow sea facies or coastal facies deposition. So the water on the mountain dissolves carbon rocks very easily.
When water passes through the litter, this calcium carbonate is separated to form travertine. Over time, these travertine will block the water and become a pool.
These travertine attached to dead branches, wrapped in different shapes, crystal clear. Due to natural reasons, the lime ponds here are all beautiful.
In addition to numerous travertine pools, Huanglong has many travertine beaches, travertine beds, travertine belts and travertine tongues.
This tall travertine wall is the trace left by years. According to experts' speculation, these landforms were formed about 1 ten thousand years ago.
People wonder why the water in Huanglong travertine wetland is so transparent. This is because Huanglong is located in Minshan Mountain range and belongs to the humid climate of plateau cold temperate zone, where there is abundant rainfall, good vegetation and low sediment concentration in the soil. It can be said that the sand does not move, and the soil does not move. The flowing water is filtered by the forest vegetation layer, so it is clearer.
Because of the cold and high PH value, the aquatic life in Huanglong is poor. But you can still see many alkali-tolerant plants thriving at the water's edge. These alkali-tolerant plants are woody plants, and more are herbs.
Nature chooses these tenacious plants to grow beside the travertine pond, which constitutes the life symphony of travertine wetland. This is: "natural selection, survival of the fittest."
These small shrubs, like alkaline water, are full of vitality at the water's edge. Most of these shrubs are Yanagi Takayama and rhododendron.
These acidic coniferous forests died by the water because they did not adapt to the alkaline living environment. A strange phenomenon can be seen here. All the tall trees keep a certain distance from the travertine pond.
Travertine wetland is a wonderful flower in the southeast of China and a treasure of wetland landscape in China and even the world.
This type of wetland is only available in Huanglong, China. It can be said that it is a treasure of China wetland. Let's take good care of it, and let this "thousand layers of clear water walk the Huanglong" wetland landscape play a greater wetland ecological effect.
Wetlands on the Roof of the World (9)
The majestic Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has an average elevation of more than 4,000 meters. Many peaks on the plateau are covered with snow all year round. There seems to be a lifeless world here.
But in fact, life is still challenging this cold world.
This wild donkey is the champion of plateau long-distance running. Tibetan antelope is a rare animal on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
This clumsy brown bear is also exercising his endurance.
Plateau is a world full of life. These creatures, under icebergs and snowy mountains, rely on wetlands as a treasure trove of geomantic omen to build their own comfortable homes.
In the cold plateau, the water temperature is low, but in the wetland, all kinds of aquatic plants are still flourishing. These aquatic plants can produce plankton, which provide food for all kinds of fish in the water.
The fish here are mainly plateau mullet. Due to the low water temperature in the plateau, few microorganisms and insufficient bait, the growth rate of fish is slow. It takes about ten years for this fish to grow to 500 grams. The density of fish is very high because it is not disturbed by fishing.
This is the bird island of Qinghai Lake, where about 10 million birds hold a grand event every year. Every spring, they will "have children" here and reproduce.
Plateau wetland is the hometown of black-necked crane. Black-necked crane is a rare and endangered crane species endemic to China, and it is the latest of 15 crane species found in the world.
Black-necked crane is a unique plateau crane in China, which is a typical wading bird living in swamps and wetlands. Every May, black-necked cranes give birth on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
The prosperity of the black-necked crane family is closely related to the protection of the country and residents.
There is also a big family living in plateau wetlands, that is seagulls. The most common gulls here are brown-headed gulls, as well as fish gulls and black-billed gulls. Because the wetland is rich in fish resources for them to eat, all kinds of seagulls gather here to enjoy the delicious meal provided by the wetland.
The plateau wetland in spring is a life world, and new life is born here every day.
And the striped goose family living in wetlands. The main food source of striped goose is the tender leaves of wetland plants. Especially in spring, a large area of grassland has not turned green, and wetland plants have sprouted. It is observed that every spring, there are thousands of striped geese in Bird Island of Qinghai Lake to lay eggs and breed offspring.
In the plateau wetland, all kinds of birds occupy their territory in an orderly way. Although this guy is ugly, you must not underestimate him. He is a master of swimming and fishing among birds-his name is cormorant.
Only with wetlands can this lonely Qinghai-Tibet Plateau become a noisy world. This is a veritable bird paradise.
Wetlands on the Roof of the World (10)
This is the Xiannairi Snow Mountain in Daocheng County, Sichuan Province, which is located in the southeast of Tibet. Tibetans call it a "sacred mountain".
This is Yangzhuoyong Lake in Langkazi County, Tibet. Tibetans call it the "holy lake".
I don't know how many such holy mountains and lakes exist on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. You can see this kind of curved sail flying wherever there are mountains and waters. This is the Tibetan people's respect and worship for heaven and earth.
Tibetans have a custom of advocating nature since ancient times. They love mountains, love the water and plants, and they cherish the kindness and nurturing of nature.
Tibetans live on aquatic plants, and only wetlands, especially those in river valleys and lake basins, are places to recuperate in the harsh plateau environment.
Wetland space can meet the most primitive and simple needs of human life. According to textual research, in the Neolithic Age, the range of ancient human activities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was correspondingly extensive. With the evolution of history, domestic yaks domesticated from wild yaks, a wetland animal, have become friends of plateau people. It can be said that the food of plateau people comes from wetlands, and the clothes they wear also come from wetlands. Even the tents that shelter from the wind and rain are made of cow hair. People on the plateau depend directly on wetlands for survival, and it is wetlands that have nurtured this hardworking and brave nation. Wetland is the birthplace of plateau civilization.
This is Lhasa, the capital of Xizang Autonomous Region. The ancient Potala Palace contrasts with modern architecture.
This famous plateau city has now become a national key tourist city. In this turbulent flow of people, people have felt that this plateau city is not much different from the mainland in material life.
Deep chanting is integrated with cheerful pop music, and material civilization is combined with plateau culture. It laid a solid foundation for the prosperity of this snowy plateau.
Just behind this bustling downtown, there is a little-known wetland called Lalu Wetland. This is a rare natural wetland located in the plateau of a big city in the world. This water-clear, grass-green Lalu wetland is located in this beautiful plateau city, which constitutes a harmonious unity between man and nature.
For the role of Lalu wetland, Lhasa people call it oxygen generator, air conditioner, purifier and balancer.
Experts say that the Lalu wetland is an important source of oxygen supply in Lhasa, which can increase urban humidity, prevent dust and sand and beautify the environment.
Day and night when we filmed the "Roof Wetland of the World" on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, we felt more deeply the love and dependence of the plateau people on the wetland. Plateau people are an integral part of wetland ecosystem.
Plateau civilization is closely related to wetlands, and the future and development of the plateau are also closely related to wetlands.
When we are reluctant to leave the snowy plateau, we once again realize why wetlands are listed as one of the three major ecosystems of the earth.
Let us attach importance to wetlands, protect wetlands, cherish wetlands, and let the precious wetland resources on the roof of the world play a greater ecological effect.