Bandyopadhyay Debmita, Mukherjee Subhadip, Singh Gulab, Coomes David
Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3EA, UK.
Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Wilberforce Road, Cambridgeshire, CB3 0WA, UK.
Environ Monit Assess. 2022 Nov 4;195(1):70. doi: 10.1007/s10661-022-10577-9.
Climate change is causing glaciers to retreat across much of the Himalaya, leading to a rapid shift of the vegetation cover to higher altitudes. However, the rate of vegetation shift with respect to glacier retreat, climate change, and topographic parameters is not empirically quantified. Using remote sensing measurements, we estimate (a) the rate of glacier-ice mass loss, (b) the upward vegetation line shift rate, (c) regional greening trends, and (d) a relationship between the factors influencing the greenness of the landscape and vegetation change in the Himalaya. We find that the glacier mass loss rate is 10.9 ± 1.2 Gt/yr and the mean vegetation line shifts upward in altitude by 7-28 ± 1.5 m/yr. Considering the land use/land cover change pattern, the grassland area is found to be expanding the most, particularly in the de-glaciated regions. The vegetation change is found to be controlled by soil moisture and slope of the area.
气候变化正导致喜马拉雅山脉大部分地区的冰川消退，致使植被覆盖迅速向更高海拔转移。然而，植被随冰川消退、气候变化和地形参数的转移速率尚未通过实证进行量化。利用遥感测量，我们估算了（a）冰川冰体质量损失速率，（b）植被线向上转移速率，（c）区域绿化趋势，以及（d）喜马拉雅山脉影响景观绿度和植被变化的各因素之间的关系。我们发现，冰川质量损失速率为10.9±1.2亿吨/年，植被线平均海拔每年向上移动7 - 28±1.5米。考虑到土地利用/土地覆盖变化模式，发现草地面积扩张最为显著，尤其是在冰川消退地区。研究发现，植被变化受该地区土壤湿度和坡度的控制。
