Tibet, Western China, and Nepal, 1750 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Carte du Grand Thibet : pour servir a l'Histoire generale des voyages : dressée sur les observations les plus récentes, tirée des auteurs anglois par N. Bellin, Ingr. de la Marine, 1949. ; J.V. Schley direx. It was published by Pierre de Hondt in 1750. Scale [ca. 1:8,000,000]. Covers the Tibet Autonomous Region, Western China, Nepal, and small portions of Bhutan, Burma, and India. Map in French and Dutch.The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Asia North Lambert Conformal Conic coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as drainage, cities and other human settlements, territorial boundaries, and more. Relief shown pictorially. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.

Northwest China and Central Asia, 1750 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Carte de la petite Bukharie et pays voisins : pour servir a l'Histoire générale des voyages, dressée sur les observations les plus récentes par N. Bellin, Ingr. de la Mare., 1749. It was published by Pierre de Hondt in 1750. Scale [ca. 1:8,500,000]. Covers Northwest China, including portions of Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu, Gansu Sheng, Qinghai Sheng, Tibet, Inner Mongolia, and portions of India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Mongolia. Map in French and Dutch.The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Asia North Lambert Conformal Conic coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as drainage, cities and other human settlements, territorial boundaries, roads, and more. Relief shown pictorially.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.

Bunga rus bunga roides , A Record New to China ( Xizang AR) with a Note on Trimeresurus tibeta nus( Plate Ⅵ, lower)

1998 年在西藏墨脱县海拔1000 m 左右地方采到成年雌性环蛇1 号, 系我国新纪录。该蛇全长/ 尾长(mm) 1095/ 112 (尾尖断) 。通身背面黑褐色, 后3/ 4 有由背鳞白色点斑缀成的窄横纹约40 个; 腹面浅黑 色, 每隔3 或4 枚腹鳞有不规则的黄白色横斑。尾背有少数不完整的白色纹, 但尾腹面有7 条很明显的横斑。头 部斑纹与M. Smith (1943 : 410) 描述一致, 可能由于蛇龄较老而不清晰。背鳞通身15 行, 脊鳞略扩大; 腹鳞 233 , 尾下鳞35 (略低于文献记载的44～51 , 可能与尾尖断有关) , 除前端第三、四两枚成单外, 其余均成对。 没有颊鳞; 眶前鳞1 , 眶后鳞2 ; 颞鳞1 + 2 ; 上唇鳞7 (22223 式) ; 下唇鳞7 , 第一对在颏鳞后彼此相接, 前4 对 接前颔片; 前颔片大于后颔片, 后者后半介一小鳞。检查一侧, 除前沟牙及其预备牙外, 没有发现其他上颌齿。

The uplift of Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Plateau and the vicariance speciation of glyptosternoid fishes (Siluriformes : Sisoridae)

Based on the phylogenetic and biogeographical studies of the glyptosternoid fishes in Qinghai-Tibet area, the following hypothesis is proposed: the speciation of this group has a direct relationship with the three uplift intervals of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This process was explained by the theory of vicariance of biogeography. The ancestor of this group was similar to Bagarus and/or Glyptothorax, which still have a wide distribution. At the moment when the Tethys sea closed, the Indian tectonic plate collided with the Eurasian tectonic plate, so the Glyptothorax-like and Bagarus-like ancestors entered Eurasia and gradually became widely distributed. After the Pleistocene, with the enforced colliding, the gradual uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau brought about the current water environment, and the Glyptosternoids were generated from Glyptothorax-like fish under this environment. The present Glyptosternum, distributed across the Himalayas is the ancestor of Glyptosternoids. In the three uplift intervals of the plateau, the water system of this region was separated gradually and Glyptosternum-like ancestor was isolated in different rivers and evolved into various species. All this resulted in the speciation and formation of the biogeographical pattern of glyptosternoids.

A Simulative Study on Effects of Climate Warming on Nutrient Contents and In Vitro Digestibility of Herbage Grown in Qinghai-Xizang Plateau

The increasing trend of air temperature along with the climate warming has been accepted gradual-ly by scientists and by the general public. Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, a unique geographic unit due to high-altitude climate, is one of the most susceptible regions to climate warming. Its ecosystem is very fragile and sensi-tive to climate change. In order to get a better understanding of the impacts of climate warming on the nutrient contents of herbage grown in Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, a simulative study was implemented at Daban Moutain by using temperature differences resulted from sites selected at different altitudes and nutrient contents and in vitro digestibility were determined for assessing the quality of the grown herbage. There were significant downtrends in crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE) and nitrogen free extract (NFE) contents of herbage along with the increase of temperature. It had a positive correlation between temperature and content of acid detergent fibre (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL) in herbage. In vitro digestibility of herbage decreased along with the in-crease of temperature. The results of this study indicated that climate warming significantly influence nutrient contents and in vitro digestibility of herbage grown in Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. It is suggested that the future climate warming especially the gradual rise of the night temperature could cause negative effect on herbage quality grown in Qinghai-Xizang Plateau by decreasing CP, EE, and NFE contents and increasing some indi-gestible ingredients such as crude fibre (CF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), ADF, and ADL. This, conse-quently, decreases the ruminant assimilation ability.

A new species of Ptilagrostis Griseb. (Poaceae) from Xizang, China

Ptilagrostis macrospicula L.B.Cai, sp.nov. Fig.1

An inventory of forest relicts in the pastures of Southern Tibet (Xizang AR, China)

An inventory of isolated tree stands surrounded by desert pastures in Southern Tibet (A.R. Xizang, China) revealed more than 50 sites with vigorous trees of Juniperus convallium Rehder & E.H. Wilson and Juniperus tibetica Kom and additional more than 10 records where juniper trees had been destroyed between 1959-1976. The tree stands are not restricted to any specific habitat, and occur within an area stretching 650 km westwards from the current forest border of Southern Tibet. The trees are religious landmarks of the Tibetan Buddhists. The highest trees were found at an elevation of 4,860 m. Vegetation records, rainfall correlations and temperature data collected by local climate stations and successful reforestation trials since 1999 indicate that forest relicts fragmented through human interference could regenerate if current cattle grazing and deforestation practices are halted. The drought line of Juniperus forests in Southern Tibet is approximately 200-250 mm/a. A first pollen diagram from Lhasa shows forest decline associated with the presence of humans since at least 4,600 yr BP. The currently degraded commons developed in the last 600 yr. To date, no findings of remains of ancient forests in the Central Tibetan Highlands of the Changtang have been reported.

The impact of plateau zokor Myospalax fontanierii burrows on alpine meadow vegetation on the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibetan) plateau

The impact of burrows constructed by plateau zokors Myospalax fontanierii (Milne-Edwards, 1867) on alpine meadow vegetation on the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibetan) plateau was investigated. Plant samples taken from quadrats directly over active zokor burrows, back-filled burrows, adjacent burrow controls, and random sites from a field, in which no burrows or mounds occurred were compared. The biomass of plants (below- and above-ground) directly over shallow active burrows was significantly lower than on control plots. This reduction in biomass was not significantly different than that between deep active burrows and control plots. There were no significant differences between above- and below-ground plant biomass on areas perpendicular to active burrows when compared to random sites. Back-filling soil in burrows could promote the growth of above-ground monocotyledonous plants. However, the burrowing activities of zokors had a negative effect on biomass of dicotyledonous plants.

A Lopingian (Late Permian) brachiopod fauna from the Qubuerga formation at Shengmi in the Mount Qomolangma region of Southern Xizang (Tibet), China

A small fauna of 11 species belonging to 10 genera of Permian Brachiopoda from the lower part of the Qubuerga Formation outcropping near Shengmi village in the Qomolangma region of southern Xizang (Tibet) is figured and new taxa are described. New taxa are Quinquenella semiglobosa and Costatumulus shengmiensis. The fauna is most likely of Wuchiapingian (Djhulfian) age as indicated by the majority of the brachiopod species.