A tiny sedge, only a few centimetres high, that forms a tough turf over huge areas of the eastern plateau.

  • Group: Plant
  • Plant type: Grass and sedge
  • Habitats: Alpine meadow
  • Regions: Kham, Amdo, Ü Tsang

Habitat and distribution

Alpine pastures between about 3,000 and 6,000 metres; Miehe and colleagues estimate that its pastures cover about 450,000 square kilometres.

Recorded in Kham, Amdo, Ü-Tsang.

Ecological and cultural significance

Its turf protects the soil from erosion and stores carbon, and feeds the herds of Tibetan nomads.

Threats

Overstocking and turf damage cause degradation in places; how much is due to herders, and how much to warming, pikas and policy, is disputed.

Conservation

Not assessed by the IUCN Red List (no assessment found). Some botanists now place it in the genus Carex.

Sources & References for all of Understanding Tibet