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.