4. Conclusions
The cushion plant is a key species for the maintenance of the stability of the grassland ecosystem across the Tibetan Plateau. These plants are key builders of abiotic environments due to their vital roles in regional warmth maintenance, wind reduction and nutrient accumulation. These plants are also protectors of surrounding plants and show interspecific facilitation. Cushion plants promote species reproduction and are hotbeds for maintaining plant and microbial diversity. Notably, these plants are essential indicators of ecosystem health and sustainability and play an important role in the restoration of alpine grassland ecosystems under the influence of global change. Therefore, cushion plant appears to be both important pioneers and ecosystem engineers in alpine ecosystems of the Tibetan Plateau.