Carex atrofuscoides

Although this species is found in areas of low human footprint (Sanderson et al. 2002, GIS data), montane and alpine ecosystems in the region are considered threatened due to their high vulnerability to ongoing climate and land use changes. Alpine meadows have been actively grazed by domestic livestock for many years and many pastures are reported to be degraded although some natural habitats remain intact. Threats to plant species in the region include: the establishment of new towns, especially on the Tibetan plateau, overgrazing and trampling by large herds of livestock (especially yaks), Governmental rangeland intensification schemes, construction of highways, tourism, soil erosion, increased frequency of landslides and the unregulated commercial harvest of medicinal plants (Ning and Richard 1999, Zhou et al. 2005). The degradation of grasslands in this region may be accelerated with global warming as indicated by some modelling studies (Zhou et al. 2005). In recent years, oral testimony in these regions indicate a general drying up of the Rangelands (Klein et al. 2004). The direct impact of these threats on the taxon and its resilience to disturbances are unknown. The taxon may not be palatable to livestock. The rhizomatous habit may confer to this plant a good regeneration potential. This species is reported to grow over a very wide altitude range and is therefore likely to be adapted to various habitats and may be more tolerant to environmental changes.

The type was collected within the natural Reserve of the sacred mountain Taibaishan, where forests have been protected over centuries for religious reasons. The taxon may have been collected in other conservation units. The fragile alpine ecosystems in the region mostly lack effective core protection. The taxon does not benefit from any legal protection in China. Botanical surveys should be conducted in the region to estimate the current range and population size and adequately define the conservation status of this species.