Constructing a green railway on the Tibet Plateau: Evaluating the effectiveness of mitigation measures

The construction of the Qinghai–Tibet Railway on the Tibetan Plateau raised many concerns about its environmental impact. A field survey is conducted to check the effects of railway construction on roadside vegetation and soil properties and to assess the mitigation measures taken by constructors to reduce the disturbance to roadside vegetation and soil. The results show that the impact of railway construction was limited and occurred on a relatively small scale. The prohibition of excavating soil and gravel in a zone of 200 m from the railway contributed most to the protection of roadside vegetation. However, one measure, which replanted original vegetation, was less effective.