Climate change impact on the distribution of endemic seed plants of the Tibetan Plateau
A glimpse of the alpine talus vegetation in Qinghai, China. Photo by Yujing Yan
Bachelor and MSc project
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The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is the highest plateau and one of the largest plateaus on the Earth with an average altitude of >4000m and occupying ~2.5 million km2.
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The rapid uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau has resulted in rapid and continuous specification and diversification for plants. Being a center of biodiversity hotspots, the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau provides habitats for ~9000 vascular plants,of which ~18% are endemic to this area.
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In this project, I
- compiled distribution datasets of ~8000 vascular plants on the Tibetan Plateau.
- analyzed the factors determining the species and phylogenetic diversity patterns.
- evaluated the impact of future climate change on the distribution of ~1000 endemic seed plants in this region and assessed the effectiveness of current nature reserve system.
Yujing Yan, PhD
Harvard University Herbaria Research Fellow
My research interests include biogeography, macroevolution, species diversity patterns and climate change conservation.