Ecological restoration of degraded grasslands and innovative application of stress-tolerant grass species in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, functioning as the “Asian Water Tower” and a globally significant carbon sink, sustains alpine grassland ecosystems that are critical for regional ecological security and sustainable development. Over the past five decades, however, the degradation risk of alpine grasslands on the plateau has intensified, primarily manifested as decreased vegetation coverage, loss of soil carbon and nitrogen, microbial functional imbalance, and reduced productivity. Current close-to-natural restoration techniques focus on the mixed sowing of native grass species to simulate natural community composition, promoting the synergistic recovery of soil nutrients and microorganisms and thereby enhancing the stability and resilience of restored grasslands. Nevertheless, the insufficient diversity and supply of stress-tolerant grass species represents a core bottleneck in implementing these close-to-natural restoration technologies. Future research should focus on three key directions: (i) systematically collecting and precisely characterizing native grass germplasm resources, and improving forage quality and adaptability through smart breeding technologies; (ii) screening suitable species combinations and strengthening elite seed propagation; (iii) deeply investigating the ecological mechanisms of soil-plant-microbial interactions. It is recommended that the national government initiate a major scientific program for Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau grassland restoration. This initiative could establish an integrated dual-driven framework that synergizes scientific research with adaptive management practices to enhance the stability and service functions of the grassland ecosystem.