Discussion on the construction of a comprehensive observation system of natural resources in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is China’s national and ecological security barrier, Asian water tower, and soil, water and ecological resources reserve base. The natural resources and features of the ecological environment of the plateau, such as mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, grass, sand, and ice, play a particularly important role in China. The monitoring and evaluation of natural resources within the region are key to the formulation of environmental protection policies and the optimization of resource allocation. The comprehensive observation system is the premise of field comprehensive observation research and the guarantee to achieve the goal of field stations. Based on the overall design of “two-unification” and “two-division”, starting from the importance and particularity of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and combined with the complexity and scarcity of current observations, the observation objects of major natural resources are clarified. The comprehensive observation system is constructed to ensure that the observation objects for field observation stations, observation indexes, and station level are clear, the station management is smooth, and the observation data are standardized, accurate and continuous, so as to better serve the unified management of natural resources. Simultaneously, it can lay the foundation for the demonstration and extension of the field observation research regarding natural resources in the future.