The researchers studied the grassland on Bird Island at Qinghai Lake. They found that the community had 63 plant species, with the North Temperate genus being the most common. Plant diversity was lowest in the middle of the grassland but increased from the shore to higher ground. The community had four main plant groups: grasses, legumes, non-leguminous forbs, and shrubs. The diversity, evenness, and richness of these groups varied from the species level. Overall, there was a significant difference between the diversity of plant species and functional plant groups in the grassland.