The Qinghai-Tibetan plateau is one of the regions with the least man-made disturbance in the world.The harsh natural conditions of high elevation

cold and drought climate and oxygen deficiency result in the fact that the plateau vegetation and ecosystems are unique and very fragile and susceptive to man- made disturbance.The construction of the railway will intensify soil erosion along the railway line to a certain degree.The map of soil erosion condition in the section from Tanggula mountain pass to Lhasa city in the range of 50 kilometers each side along the line was drawn by using the techniques of remote sensing and geographic information system.Based on analysis of the status of soil and water loss

and the influence of the railway construction projects

the changes of the types

intensities and the total amount of the soil erosion caused by the construction are predicted

and the damage from soil erosion is analyzed.