Effects of land surface changes on climate in the Tibetan Plateau

As an important component of ecological barrier, the vegetation area on the Tibetan Plateau has strong regulating effects on regional climate. However, the effects of this regulatory effect and its mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, with land surface data from 2001 and 2020, the Weather Research & Forecasting Model (WRF) model was used to simulate the impact of surface changes in vegetation migration areas of the Tibetan Plateau on the climate, in order to explore its underlying mechanisms. The results indicated that changes in land surface led to a 0.05±0.01 °C overall increase in temperature, with the primary warming effects observed in the central and southern regions due to the decline of surface albedo, which resulted in an increase in net shortwave radiation and net radiation, thereby contributing to the warming effect. In contrast, the changes in land surface cause cooling in the eastern regions, primarily due to the impact of increased evapotranspiration. Additionally, the total precipitation increased by 4.06±4.12 mm, primarily in the central and southern regions. This increase is mainly attributed to enhanced evapotranspiration and the radial cooperation of atmospheric circulation. Moreover, the impact of different vegetation types on precipitation varies significantly. This study highlights the crucial role of altitude in land surface changes and underscores the significance of various surface parameters in the mechanisms driving of regional climate change on the Tibetan Plateau.