The researchers used satellite images and computer software to study changes in alpine wetlands on the Zoige Plateau over the past 40 years. They found that natural wetlands were larger and more common than man-made ones. The wetlands in Zoige County were the biggest and most abundant. Overall, the wetland area decreased from 1966 to 1986 but then started to increase. However, there was still a significant decrease in wetland area by 2000 compared to 1966. The wetlands were mostly concentrated in certain areas and showed low diversity. The number of wetland patches stayed the same, but their size increased over time. The center of the wetland landscape shifted in different directions over the years.