Hosted by the Program on Chinese Cities （PCC）
09/11/2025 6:00 PM-7:00 PM EST
Presenter: Rong Liu
Researcher, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Visiting scholar, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Supervisor: Prof. Yan Song
Abstract:
In recent years, the rapid shrinkage of wetlands, accelerated snow and glacier melt, and the uplift of permafrost lower boundaries on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau have significantly altered regional water supply and runoff patterns. However, due to the lack of interdisciplinary and integrated monitoring systems, understanding of the coupled eco-hydro-atmospheric processes and their feedbacks to weather and climate remains limited. Based on in-situ observations and remote sensing data, this study systematically reveals the multi-scale interactions among soil, hydrology, ecosystems, and the atmosphere, with particular focus on the energy transfer mechanisms of the snow–permafrost–vegetation coupling process and the variations of precipitation and water vapor transport across different time scales. Results indicate that vegetation productivity on the Plateau has generally increased, with precipitation playing the dominant role but also showing strong sensitivity to temperature. Dynamic vegetation growth leads to a marked reduction in summer and autumn runoff, accompanied by soil moisture decline and enhanced evapotranspiration. Moreover, vegetation pattern shifts feed back to atmospheric circulation by enhancing convection, weakening the South Asian High, and causing wetter conditions in the south and warmer, drier conditions in the northwest. Overall, this study advances the understanding of water–energy–carbon processes in the Sanjiangyuan Region and highlights the crucial role of ecological pattern evolution in regulating regional water cycling and climate under the dual influences of climate change and human activities.