The study looked at soil moisture and soil type in an area near Qinghai Lake. They found that as the water level in the lake rises, the soil gets drier. The soil moisture is high near the surface but low deeper down. The soil is mainly coarse silt. The soil is very dry below 0.6m deep. This area has fragile ecology and is prone to grassland degradation in dry years. It is best suited for shallow-rooted grasses and low-water plants, not trees or bushes.