Geoecological reconnaissance in the Alpine belt of Southern Tibet

Along with four vegetation profiles taken in 1984 in S Tibet climatically induced regressive plant successions were observed. Recently, frost heaving-adapted plant communities of the free gelifluction belt have been descending toward the alpine belt. The hypso-zonal cyperaceae turfs of the alpine belt have been exfoliated by the Himalaya föhn, and the alpine steppe communities have been advancing for an unknown period of time. The following hypothesis for this is given: The turfs must be interpreted as relics formed under wetter climatic conditions before the start of the Himalaya föhn and the related Indian summer monsoon. It is concluded that this Kobresia pygmaea age occurred just after the deglaciation of the Tibetan plateau and before the start of the Indian summer monsoon.