Parks & Reserves: Qinghai Hoh Xil Nature Reserve

"Qinghai Hoh Xil is located in the northeast corner of the vast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the largest, highest and youngest plateau in the world . . . Sometimes referred to as the world’s “Third Pole”, Hoh Xil has a frigid plateau climate . . . It is the area with the highest concentration of lakes on the Plateau, exhibiting an exceptional diversity of lake basins . . . With its sweeping vistas and stunning visual impact, this harsh and uninhabited wild landscape seems like a place frozen in time. Yet it is a place that illustrates continually changing geomorphological and ecological systems . . . The unique geographical formation and climatic conditions of the property nurture a similarly unique biodiversity. More than one third of the plant species, and all the herbivorous mammals dependent on them are endemic to the plateau, and 60% of the mammal species as a whole are plateau endemics." The protection of the area helps to keep intact the migration paths of the many species that traverse the landscape, including the Tibetan antelope. "Inaccessibility and the harsh climate have combined to keep the property free from modern human influences and development while at the same time supporting a long-standing traditional grazing regime that coexists with the conservation of nature. Nevertheless, this ''Third Pole" of the world appears to be suffering from the impact of global climate change with disproportionally warming temperatures and changing precipitation patterns." Additionally, a growing concern for the integrity of the region is the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, which has been the site of garbage pollution adjacent to the park.