The Tibetan Plateau can be a tough place to live. It has extreme weather conditions, can get very cold, is very dry, and has high-altitude. To deal with all of these factors, the Tibetans that live here not only have to be tough, but they also have to physically adapt to their environment.
One of the toughest parts of doing research in the Tibetan Plateau is the high-altitude. Altitude is how distant a site is from sea level. In New York City, you are very close to sea level and you are at low-altitude. In contrast, many places on the Tibetan Plateau are over 16,000ft above sea level, high up in the mountains. As you move up in altitude, the oxygen in the air slowly decreases. For example, in New York City, you have 100% oxygen availability in the air you breathe. In some areas of snow leopard habitat, oxygen availability could be as low as 55%. This lower oxygen makes it much harder to breathe, especially if you aren't used to it.
The Tibetan community has found ways to thrive in mountainous environments. These mountains are very closely tied to Tibetan religion and folklore, or the stories of their history and beliefs passed down from generation to generation.
